Screw Destiny
by Hedonistic Opportunist
Summary: Naruto hated bastards with the passion of a thousand suns. Too bad that his new partner is a combination of all that. NaruSasu, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Screw Destiny **

Disclaimer: I'll never own Naruto.

A/N: This is a train wreck project; I shouldn't be starting anything multi-chaptered, considering that I have finals waiting for me and RL is crazy at the moment. However, I had to get this out of my system (and just had to write after getting into a very nasty argument with my father). And here my attempt to AWOL from the fandom is thrown of the window. All criticism accepted.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki, as a general rule, hated trains: they were filthy, smelly and one was always being served cold, mud-like squelching tea. Of all things, he loathed this fancy brand of tea not because he was a pansy, but because he didn't have suicidal tendencies. He didn't need to die of some weird infection, no sir; cold tea, as a reliable source had told him, nearly always lead to mysterious infections.

Besides, he – being the unquestionably or rather unfortunately fortunate bastard he was, constantly managed to get stuck with some freak in his compartment; either a sexually frustrated housewife desperate seeking an "adventure" or one of those closeted homosexuals. As in, men in their late thirties who had finally discovered that they were into the same sex and were on the lookout for any eligible bachelor.

Contrary to what these reflections suggested, Naruto wasn't homophobic -- far from it, in fact. Indeed, he would have been an awful hypocrite to be one: he was bisexual himself and it would have been remarkably weird to go against his own preferences. He just didn't like older men and, most of all, he didn't want to get involved in any messy business. Fooling around with said-repressed, still married closeted men was a considerably risky deal, leading to heartache and against common sense – and Naruto liked to believe that he did possess an ounce of common sense, even though the majority of his acquaintance believed he didn't.

So far, sitting on that obscenely loud train travelling from Kyoto to Tokyo, truly didn't make him reconsider his prejudices. As expected, it was boiling hot and stuffy in the compartment; dead flies lay scattered about the window sill and the _zoosh-zoosh _motion of the train made him feel dizzy; he felt like being seasick – a sensation similar to your head swelling up like a balloon-- which was dumb because no normal person was sea-sick on a damned train. Oh yes, he was certainly blessed.

God, he wanted to be in his apartment already, kick off his shoes and watch the telly all night long; there was nothing better out there than rotting his brain with atrocious horror movies. He hadn't seen anything good for days; the programmes in his hotel room had been either documentaries or shopping channels.

He hated documentaries; they put him to sleep faster than sitting by a warm fire and watching the flames twirling in the hearth.

The second option didn't appeal to him either because he wasn't a posh lady, hence there was no need for him to buy hair products – it was a waste of money, as well.

Driving his fingers through his tousled hair, Naruto mused on how messy it was and, by his action, he was making it look even messier. Oh well, he had a bird's nest for hair, but really didn't care.

He was alone and, though Naruto was a sociable fellow, he was mighty glad: no prim and proper idiot was bothering him.

"So, I'll just take off my shoes now and take a nap," he said to no one in particular and, leaning down, was about to untie his shoes, but stopped midway. Perhaps, this wasn't such a good idea, after all: he could get caught and he didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention, even though a part of him was very, very eager to cause a little commotion – but he was an adult, wasn't he?

"It's not like I haven't had got enough trouble already."

Of course, sooner than he had voiced these thoughts aloud, there was a harsh knock on the compartment door and, without further ado, it was pushed wide open, revealing the disgruntled looking face of another male.

"Fuck," Naruto cursed silently, hoping that the other man didn't hear this pricelessly eloquent exclamation.

"Would you mind, if I sit here?"

"No, of course not," Naruto replied politely, not forgetting that he lived in a country renowned for its politeness and good breeding. And though he wasn't a stickler for good manners, he felt generous today.

"Burn in hell," he thought and tried his best to act inconspicuous, which according to him, meant not to scrunch his nose in disgust and exclaim his disappointment loudly.

"So, you're going to Tokyo as well?" Naruto asked, though he honestly didn't care; he was merely trying to be friendly. Besides, occasional chit-chat was fine, as long as it didn't cross any dangerous boundaries.

"That's none of your business," the young man replied testily, as if he'd been asked to undress or do something humiliating. There was on his – which Naruto soon took notice of – a scowl on his pale face.

"Sorry for asking, man."

"Shut up. I'd rather not talk."

"Fine."

_Fine, you retarded, antisocial venom. That's what you get for trying to be nice. I really do hate trains._

Naruto repressed banging a fist into the moron's face. What the hell was he on? They had barely met and the moron was already insulting him: Naruto's ego was hurt. Normally, he didn't get insulted because he was an awesome guy and, in general, people liked awesome guys. Surely, in his high school days, he had been well-known for picking up fights and being a little out of bounds, but he'd never ever met someone like this before, had never felt the urge to pummel someone black and blue like that. That – guy – made him want to yell, scream and shout.

Now, that he was more or less face to face with the man, he could see – oh, he wasn't blind – how damned handsome the guy he was. Scratch that, he was beautiful – like one of those models he had seen in the magazines. Scary. Men weren't supposed to be that good-looking: it was ... weird.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Huh? I -- uuh -- wasn't staring at you. Why should I?"

Damn, Naruto thought. This was a good start.

"Then don't, dumbass.."

Hell, it wasn't as if he was interested; there was nothing appealing in this guy, even though he was, well, good-looking. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about his personality. So far, Naruto considered him to be an asshole with a stick shoved up his rear. Or, this was the result of not getting laid it enough. Whatever it was, Naruto hated the man's guts.

"You're still doing it," the good-looking, fuckwit remarked, his voice exasperated.

"What?"

"Staring at me with that idiotic expression of yours. "

Naruto sighed and turned his head to the window, apathetically regarding the landscapes seemingly escaping from the train; the scenery changed and flickered so quickly from his sight that it made him feel dizzy again. Idiotic.

"I'm not looking at you anymore. Happy?"

"Good."

If Naruto had taken a book with him, he might have found something worthwhile to pass his time with. But he didn't like reading, so that was a no-go, so he stared out of the window for a couple of minutes until his neck started to itch pretty badly.

"Tell me, were you born an asshole or do you always treat strangers like this?"

"Only the ones who are morons."

The man-- whatever, his fucking name happened to be – was smirking with a self-satisfied air: it seemed like he had a notion of his apparent superiority and indulged in it, the way a cat indulges in licking its fur. Or the way a dog chews upon a cherished bone.

"I swear to hell, if I wouldn't get into trouble for it, I'd kick that pretty ass of yours."

Oh, he wouldn't only kick his arse, but do so much more. He would wipe that smirk out of his face: no one insulted Naruto and got away with it.

"Like you'd have the guts. "

"I do have the guts. No question about that."

Of course, he had the guts, but – fucking hell and all – he worked for the police and usually the police didn't get into fist fights. Naruto wasn't a millionaire and wasn't going to get fired on account of this pathetic excuse for a man.

"I'd rather think you're like one of those dogs," the black-haired stranger told him briskly, sending jolts down Naruto's spine with that awful smirk of his. "A small dog who barks, but has no bite."

With an audible gulp, Naruto rose from his seat, ignoring the look on the other's face and, grabbing his stuff, made way to leave the compartment. Too much was too much; he wasn't going to shit from anyone and didn't deserve this.

"Going scaredy-cat?"

"No, savin' you from having broken bones, bastard."

* * *

It wasn't only relief and happiness that made Naruto glad to see Sakura: it was something that came closer to euphoria – the sort that is maddeningly contagious and has the life span of a minute. As soon as he was safely on the ground and out of that dumb, foolish train, Sakura's arms were around him and he felt that familiar sensation of her hair brushing his cheek. He had missed her quite a bit, even though they weren't an item. Then again, it was entirely possible – in spite of the various clichés and misconceptions – for a man and woman to be friends. Really.

"Hey, Naruto, don't suffocate me. It's not like we've haven't seen each other in years."

Oh damn her. To him it had been years -- a lifetime, nearly.

"How was your trip?"

"Fine."

It hadn't only been fine, it had been spectacularly boring and uneventful. He hated sights, wasn't much into culture nor religion – in short, there hadn't been anything there for him. He had just wandered around aimlessly and slept most of the day.

"What's the matter? You look furious."

"I met a bastard on the train. Said helluva dumb stuff like dog, no bite etc..."

Sakura sighed, gave him that look of having heard it all before, but then smiled at him. "And you care about the opinion of strangers since when...?"

"I don't, but he was so...damn."

Naruto gesticulated wildly, throwing to show her all his indignation and fury; she got the picture.

"Well, you won't see him anymore. So forget it."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Come on, forget it. I'll even pay for the ramen this time."

Now, that was an invitation he couldn't decline because it was a rare treat. Sakura never offered to pay for anything, unless she was feeling very charitable or wanted to apologise.

* * *

"_You're just a small dog with no bite."_

As dumb as it was, the words wouldn't leave his thoughts and were driving him mad with anger – he wasn't anything of the sort.

"And you're sure you're not troubled?" Sakura asked, interrupting Naruto's reflections.

"Troubled? By what? The vacation was boring, but hell, well deserved."

There was an uncomfortable silence after that. Sakura shifted in her seat, averted her gaze from Naruto's and quickly changed the subject:

"No, I mean about that guy you met. "

Naruto snorted ungraciously.

What was with females and their interest in the guys one met? Naruto, as much as he tried to understand women, never understood that: there wasn't anything miraculous in meeting other people, especially not the ones in a device made for transportation. He saw tons of blokes each days: various men of different sizes, attitudes and hairstyles. And they didn't mean anything to him, just like that asshole.

"Sakura-chan, if I say I'm fine, then I'm fine. "

"You dimwit. I've known you for over ten years now...and you've never sat toying around with your food like that."

"Oh come on. It's nothing. He was bastard, some snobbish, spoilt guy who had a bad day or something like that. It doesn't have anything to do with my mood."

"If you say so. But I still think you're a pretty bad liar."

"Sakura-chan, if this some kinda crap about me being in love, then you're insane."

"Why so? It's not a crime and you're single...you've been so for ages."

Again, he snorted and, finally, stuffed some of the ramen into his mouth. He had not been in a relationship since...well, forever, but that didn't mean he was desperate. He was a man and men didn't set a store on such things: there was none of this "once bitten, twice shy" kind of crap in life's philosophy. He just wasn't interested. If he wanted sex, he knew where to get it – he could always find the right bedfellow for the night. That was fun.

"I'm twenty-two, Sakura-chan. The world doesn't expect a man of my age to settle down."

He knew that Sakura was going to give him a lecture. Maybe, on how she had found happiness with Lee and how wonderful it was to have someone by your side – all that rubbish on the beauty of waking with someone on your side and not being lonely.

"Besides, the last thing I need in my life right now is love. Least of all from assholes I've only met once. 'is not a romantic comedy."

"Naruto...I was only joking. But wouldn't it be nice, if it was?"

"Whatever. You're so cheesy."

"Coming from the guy who read poetry to make me go with him."

"That was ages ago and ...you never did go go out with me. It still breaks my heart."

That wasn't true, of course. Naruto had loved her back in the days. He still did, but with time, his feelings had grown more familial – he couldn't really explain it. He didn't love her less than before, but it wasn't the same love he had harboured for her as a teenager; that was one of the mysteries of life.

"Shut up, you fool."

"As you wish, my dear. I'm your sla-"

"I told you to hold your tongue!"

* * *

As usual, his apartment was a total mess. Or, in other words, it looked like a bomb had exploded there; a bomb filled with clothes, newspapers and tossed away pencils. Naruto had tons of these; he had a knack for gnawing upon pencils and, subsequently, left them all over the apartment complex.

There were two things he could do now: go to bed or make a night out of it. A part of him badly opted for the latter: he hadn't found anything noteworthy in Kyoto and his tension-filled, horny body wanted – needed – a good fuck. Something with no strings attached was just what he really desired.

Still, he was tired and sluggish: the excitement of having returned home had taken a toil on him. His body felt heavy – like he had drank too much and been hit on the head with a hammer – and, slowly but surely, his thoughts were solely focused on going to bed -- no point in denying it. And, against all better judgement, Naruto went to sleep in his clothes, not caring a whit about anything else.


	2. Chapter 2

_Notes_: I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint because I'm nervous as hell sharing this. It's got more dialogue driven than you'd expect me to write usually, but it serves a purpose. Again, I hope this doesn't disappoint.

* * *

"Ugh," Naruto groaned loudly, raising his head lazily from the pillow and staring around the room with a half-dazed expression. He was dizzy, as if he had spent the entire night partying and drinking too much of the good ole' friend, vodka.

This, however, wasn't the case. Naruto was still dressed in his jeans and t-shirt. He could feel the sweat literally sticking, latched onto his body; it was positively disgusting and provided him with visual imagery that was puke-worthy.

Damn, so he had fallen asleep with his clothes on again. A decidedly bad habit, this was. At least, so Sakura would have said or rather screamed at him had she been present. But she, thankfully, wasn't here to send him colliding against a wall.

Naruto didn't give a damn about the way he smelled – for all he cared he could stink like a skunk. Nor did he care whether he slept in his clothes, his briefs or in a potato sack – that made no difference to him at all. It was just that Sakura did mind and, in order to appease her, Naruto obeyed her. She exerted that kind of influence over him: he was definitely whipped.

In the process of waking up, the events of the previous day came crashing back to Naruto, like cool water splattering over his head. So, he was really at home and this meant --- fuck, this meant that he had to go to work today. Of course, Naruto thought grimly, it wasn't as if he could get another day off, just to recuperate from the shock of being in Tokyo again. That would have been a bloody dream come true.

Furthermore, it meant, as he logically concluded, that he was going to be late – again. Looking out of the window confirmed so much and Naruto swore: it was already bright outside. Evidently, he had forgotten to set the alarm clock.

_Fantastic._

"Shit," Naruto muttered. He only had ten minutes to get dressed, gobble down some quickly prepared meal and rush out of the apartment. Even then, he wouldn't make it: he knew it as certainly as he knew that it snowed in winter.

Still, it just wasn't right to show up late. Sure, his mentor Kakashi had always shown up late, whatever the occasion, but he wasn't a role model. Hell, but if he could get away with it, so could Naruto.

* * *

Naruto would have shown up even later, if he hadn't been familiar with the surroundings. He had a penchant for getting lost and even though he had spent all of his life in Toyko, Naruto still considered it to be outlandish. He was strange in that way. Yet, he still managed to find the way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, located in the Kasumigaseki part of central Tokyo.

No one greeted him when stepped into the elevator, which was filled with several men and women, all very prim and proper looking. Some were dressed in civil, others in uniform and, what was most striking of all, they all shared that look of morose seriousness and practicality. Only Naruto with the grin on his face and orange jacket stood out. He still hadn't learnt the proper dress code appropriate for a man in his profession. Still, those who knew him didn't care: they had gotten used to him by now. Shikamaru, the first person to catch a glimpse of Naruto after the vacation, was one of them.

"You're late, Uzumaki," the bored voice of Shikamaru drawled. Naruto threw him a dirty and accusatory look, but then broke into a smile. Whether the other man wanted to admit it or not, this was a greeting and a definite hint that he had been missed. And yes, this was nice to know that. Naruto had been lonely for too long, to not appreciate this.

"Same for you. Didn't want to get up in the morning again?" Naruto asked, not without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He knew to what kind of extent Shika loathed getting up in the morning. Other than watching clouds, the man considered everything to be a bother.

Indeed, Shikamaru Nara was commonly known as one of the laziest cops this side of Tokyo; it was a wonder that he hadn't been sacked yet. Then again, it was a wonder that the same hadn't happened to Naruto either. He definitely wasn't a picture perfect cop, but their department wasn't known for its normalcy.

"It was too much of a hassle."

Naruto repressed a laugh, knowing that his friend wouldn't have appreciated it.

"You haven't changed at all since high school."

"You haven't either."

"And that makes me cool."

"She'll fry your ass," Shikamaru replied, changing the subject rather abruptly; the other had been too troublesome for his tastes.

"Well, nothing I'm no used to," Naruto answered, but not worried in the least. "Besides, I have a very sexy ass."

"Whatever."

"You're so frigid, man."

Shikamaru's subsequent sigh and frown clearly indicated that he considered this – their discussion and all – to quote his own words, rather troublesome. However, he wasn't going to punch Naruto's face nor do anything hurtful: Shikarmaru was, if anything, a person who didn't really go for close combat.

"And you're a dead man. Tsunade is going to rip you apart, limb for limb."

Initially, the not so comforting description of his superior doing this sent chills of terror down his spine. No point in denying that: Tsunade was a very intimidating woman with a lecher for a husband. This, along with her combustible temper, wasn't a good combination. Fiery-tempered women and ass-groping, voyeuristic perverts were an explosive and dangerous match.

Yet, the longer he thought, the more his surroundings caught his attention; he couldn't focus too long on Tsunade and the impending terror awaiting him. He had missed this too much – missed the bustle of paper, the annoyed voices and bad jokes; this was as much a part of him like his nose, ear or thumb.

"Come on, Nara. Don't be so downcast. Smile, smile."

Of course, it didn't matter that those words of encouragement were more directed at himself than his grumpy git of a friend. As much as he knew that Tsuande wasn't going to really kill him, he couldn't suppress the lump of unease forming in his throat. He sensed that something bad was awaiting him – and no, this wasn't woman's instinct.

* * *

There , of course, was no frying of asses or harming of other body parts, but Tsunade was nearly bursting with fury. Her entire body language – from the nostrils flapping and closing rapidly, her tightly pressed against each other lips and stern look – indicated that she was bristling, nearly overcome with indignation. She didn't like it when one kept her waiting.

"Naruto, you stupid brat, how dare you show up an hour late?"

The office itself seemed to shiver under her thundering voice; the desk trembled a little and the light bulb above their heads flickered on and off – or so it seemed to Naruto.

"Well, you see, I ... err was on my way to work, but then ran into a black cat and this meant that I had to take the other--"

As always, Naruto found Kakashi's wisdom to be of invaluable help and a life saver; there was no way she would punish him now. Nobody could resist Kakashi's charm, not even her.

"Don't give me any of this bullshit," Tsunade growled, but her face didn't reveal any anger, only slight annoyance. "Geez, you're becoming more like that wretched Kakashi each day."

"Well, he was my mentor. Still is."

"No wonder you're such a troublemaker, Uzumaki."

Naruto knew that she didn't mean it; he knew that, in spite of her harsh words, Tsunade was incredibly fond of him. In return, he respected and admired her in return, even though she was one of the scariest women he had ever crossed paths with. Then again, he dealt with Sakura on a daily basis and she wasn't necessarily soft-spoken either. She was a bit too fond of using her fist – and it was a very strong one at that. Naruto could sing a song about it.

"So, what's new? Has anythin' special happened while I was gone?"

Certainly, there was no better means of starting of a discussion. Naruto was going to act like his usual oblivious and cheery self.

"Yes, in fact, a lot. Sit down, this might take a while."

The office was an oppressively small one and, as the windows were never opened, it was extremely stuffy. But Naruto wasn't going to linger on that and, sitting down the proffered chair, said:

"Come on, spill the beans."

"You see, Kiba was on that investigating case, dealing with the gangs and so forth."

"Yeah, yeah..."

This was getting boring. Couldn't she come to the point already?

"He got wounded badly."

Naruto remained silent, even though he really didn't trust his ears. He knew that being a policeman wasn't sugar and candy, knew that one's life was constantly in danger; however, this was outrageous – it was crazy.

"He's fine, Tsunade? He's ... going to be be all right?"

"Yes and no. He's going to survive, but for the time being, he's paralysed."

Naruto's face blanched visibly and he felt like someone had given him a good one in a fist fight. This couldn't be, not Kiba. Naruto, not trusting his words, asked stupefied:

"Para—lysed?"

"As in, he's bound in a wheelchair for the time being. It'll take a while for him to walk again."

"Shit...what this does mean for me...? He's my partner."

_And a damn good one too. _

"That you'll get a partner. Luckily, we've just got a transfer from Kyoto. "

The chilly tone in her voice startled Naruto, but when he looked into her face, he knew that she was equally affected. She just had to act strong, for their sake.

"God, this mean I gotta work with some stranger? Hell no! "

"Naruto, think clearly about what you say. You don't have the right to complain. You're lucky you still have that job.

_Not this route again. I don't feel guilty for what I did. _

"You know as well as I do that the bastard deserved what he got."

"I don't deny that. But you're a policeman, not an avenger. "

This time, Naruto did lower his eyes and inspected the stains of the floor with new found, never been there before interest. She was right about that one.

"Look, I'm not telling you to make friends with the guy, just try to accept him. He's probably not as bad as you think he'll be."

"Ok. So, where is he? I'll shake his hand and invite over for a drink."

"He'll come tomorrow."

"Why that?"

"He'll have to get used to the place."

"Not fair man. I should also get a day more off."

"Shut up and finish the paperwork you've neglected, Naruto."

* * *

A cop's life was hardly nice and Naruto's existence was not an exception: he often returned world-weary and drained to the marrow to his apartment, cursing everything on this damnable planet. On such days, the only thing left for him to do was either switch on the television, flick through some mindless channels and try to forget. Or he would go out and drown himself in the promise of quick, painless comfort of no strings attached sex.

Yet, Naruto was perhaps luckier than some of his colleagues because he had Sakura in his life – and Sakura managed to make everything halfway endurable. Nothing could escape her notice and Naruto didn't even try to hide the newest events in his life from her: she would have figured it out, anyway.

"So, you've got a new partner?"

Naruto nodded while he sat cross-legged on the sofa with that thick, heavy book placed on his lap. Sakura had come over for a sleepover, or better said, to cram for her latest exam. Somehow, she always thought that Naruto was a great asset in helping her study. Whatever.

"Haven't met him yet. I guess it'll be one of those overzealous newbies. You know, the sort who wants to get everything done right."

"Sucks. You and new Kiba were a good team."

"Apart from his abnormal love for his mutt, yes. I'll drop by the hospital tomorrow. The guy deserves to know I've not forgotten about him."

"He knows that you won't forget about him. Who could ever forget you?"

Naruto didn't want to admit, but he was worried and disappointed. He had looked forward to having rows with Kiba again.

"Hey, don't be that upset."

"It just ... it's unfair. You know, he's engaged to Hinata and all, was saving all his money to buy that house and now...it's --"

Naruto stopped, not able to deal with the images assaulting him right now: it wasn't fair. Not at all.

"Don't make it worse. You're not going to make it any better by pitying him."

Sakura looked at him seriously, for once not trying to lighten the mood; she respected him too much to joke around now. Still, she changed the topic by directing Naruto's attention to the book again.

"Help me memorise this crap instead."

Naruto, opening the first page of the book very unwillingly, skimmed through it and rolled his eyes. He hated doing this; whatever was jotted down here bored him to tears.

"So, the Morbus Bechterv is– ah shit. I don't get any of this stuff. How am I supposed to ask you questions about it?"

"Just see if I have it right, please. You have the text in front of you."

"Still, I can't...it's like a totally new language. I'm not a genius like you, Sakura-chan. I won't be of any help whatsoever."

Sakura chuckled.

"I'm not a genius, silly. Just because I study medicine doesn't make me a super intelligent, even less a genius."

Naruto looked her dubiously, but decided to drop the subject. As much as he was inclined to disagree, he knew that a part of Sakura was very modest and, as such, couldn't stomach compliments very well. Or, at least, wouldn't agree on it until it was proven. In other words, Sakura wouldn't rest, unless she passed her examinations with flying colours.

"Tell me, is he never jealous?"

"Jealous? Lee? No, he trusts me."

"I mean-- jealous of us? Doesn't he feel a teeny bit suspicious that we have sleepovers and all?"

"Nah. Besides, we're not an item. He knows that"

"Then he's not normal. I mean, come on. I'd be paranoid as hell if my girlfriend slept at another's guy house."

"See, that's what I like about Lee. He's not paranoid. He knows that you'd never betray his trust. "

"I'm glad you're happy, Sakura. Hell, you deserve it."

Deep down, Naruto knew that Lee was the best thing that could have happened to her and, for that, he liked the guy as well.

"So do you, especially -"

The flash of warning on Naruto's face made her stop; she knew that any allusion to his past wasn't appreciated by him.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I just want you to ... I don't know. Think less about work and so. You should..."

"Don't give me that talk about love and relationships again. I'm not into that."

"I just mean, maybe your new partner will be really nice," Sakura tried again, insisting on having Naruto hear her out. He sighed in return: she was too fussy over him.

"Or he'll just be an asshole, like the one I met on the train."

"You still haven't banished him from your mind, then?"

"I have...I just thought how I'd hate to have work with someone like him."

Damn, part of Naruto still regretted that he hadn't kicked that bastard's ass: he would have liked to have seen that asshole begging for mercy and make him pay. No one called him a coward.

* * *

_So today is the big day. I'll meet the person who'll be my buddy in crime. Or something like that. Hey, maybe it will be a nice, full-breasted female with a fetish for whips. That'd be ho-- too good to be true._

He sighed mournfully while he waited in front of the office, blaming his libido and those silly novels for his sexually-over active imagination; he shouldn't have wolfed down so many of these porn novels in his youth. Now, it was making him see sex everywhere. Footsteps roused him from his thoughts of self-pity and Naruto, rather quick on the uptake, looked up from the ground and prepared to greet his new par...

"Wait, what the fuck are you doing here?" Naruto nearly shouted before he bethought himself: there was no point in acting like a drama queen. Perhaps, he was still asleep.

After all, this had to be a nightmare, a product of a way too hyper brain; Naruto hoped that he was still in bed, sweating profusely and twisting like one gone mad. Whatever it was, this couldn't be real because no one could be that unlucky. Standing in front of him was the same asshole he had met on the train; the unnaturally beautiful man with his trademark smirk and "you're nothing compared to me" look.

"I work here," the man stated straightforwardly, as if it was a matter of course.

"No, you don't. We've got a no bastard policy here."

Oh yes, the Criminal Investigation Bureau was well-known for its cheerful staff; there was no need to sour the cosy atmosphere of friendless by adding a rude ruffian to their numbers.

"I thought it was the no idiots rule. Which you obviously are."

While Naruto fumed inside, the man, whose name he still didn't know, looked at him as if he were a large, pesky rat crawling over the floor with sickening leisure. This enraged him furthermore.

_Why that...fucking, revolting piece of swine. That ass-licking fucker. I'll prove him that I'm not affected by this. I don't give a damn about him. I'll keep my cool. _

Unluckily, Naruto's resolutions didn't hold; he bit his lips, shook and his hands were clenched, as if he were ready to pounce on the guy, scratch his eyes out and do other barbaric rituals.

"What is with you and insulting me? You don't even know who I am, damnit."

"I don't need to. You're an idiot, that's all."

Who was this person? Naruto didn't understand what the hell was going on until something in his mind went click and the figurative light bulbs were switched on:

"Are you the cop who's transferred from Kyoto, perchance?"

_Please don't be. I could stand anything but this._

"Yeah. I am. What's it to you, idiot?"

Crap.

"Well, then...it looks like we're gonna have to stick together for a while."

"Meaning?"

"We're partners, shit face. "

For the first time since he had met that prat, Naruto felt like he had the upper hand: it was incredibly amusing to watch that stoic mask break underneath his gaze.

"You're kidding me. I'm not --"

"No, I'm not. Unfortunately."

"You're pulling my leg, moron. There's no way I'd work with someone like you."

"You'll have to."

"I don't believe you."

Yeah, Naruto was screwed and there was no way getting around it. Naruto was very well aware of the dilemma in his position. If he caused a ruckus now and complained like a kid, he wouldn't only risk getting suspended yet again, but might end up in the gutter for good. That would have been understandably bad: he wasn't loaded and it was easier to lose one's apartment here than one's pants. So, repressing his fist as well as his loud-mouth, Naruto forced himself to smile and say:

"Let's put the behind us, okay? I'll start off by introducing myself: I'm Naruto Uz—"

"Naruto Uzumaki? Then, you're really my partner. Shit."

"Wait a sec. How do you know what my name is?"

_And what does he mean by "shit"? I'm not shit. Fucktard._

"And I thought I'd seen of you on the train. Now I'll have to deal with you."

"Just tell me your name, bastard," Naruto said through gritted teeth.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Learn to use it, dead-last."

What kind of name was Sasuke Uchiha? It sounded very much like an aristocrat's name and Naruto, expecting Sasuke to come out with with something like "refer to me as Uchiha-sama" couldn't shake off the laughter building up inside of him. Before Sasuke could react, however, another voice attracted their attention. Which was probably for the better. Tsunade had finally come out of the office.

"So, I see you've met. Naruto, get acquainted with him and be nice," she ordered Naruto, placing an emphasis on "nice".

_That damned old hag. She's really scary. _

"Right."

* * *

By getting acquainted, which was an hideously outdated expression according to Naruto, Tsunade had merely meant the following:

"_Show him around."_

"So this is where were you work. It's a mess."

Sasuke eyed his future working place with noticeable contempt and it wasn't unwarranted. The desk was littered with stacks of papers, Naruto's ever-growing collection of pens, racing car magazines and rubbers. In short, it looked like a dumping place for Naruto's random possessions.

"Get rid of the crap."

Naruto was exasperated: no one ordered him around like that. He wasn't any slave of Sasuke's and would never be.

"Look, if you don't like it, milady, you can go some place else. This is my desk and I'll keep it the way I like."

"Not as long as I have a say in it. Don't forget: I'm your-"

"Shuddup. I got it. Look clean the desk up, toss into the dumpster and leave me be."

He didn't give a fuck whether his entire junk was removed or not; Naruto wasn't going to his panties in a knit because of this.

"Hey, should I help you?"

"No. Leave your grubby fingers to yourself. You'll only make everything worse."

Oh yes, this was definitely the start of something _bad_. Possibly life-threatening. The more time Naruto spent in Sasuke's company, the angrier and more determined to fight back he got – he had never felt that challenged by anyone. So, Naruto being Naruto, felt compelled to pick up the unspoken challenge and prove Sasuke that he wasn't a dog with no bite.


	3. Chapter 3

_Notes:_ I apologise for the lateness. RL events troubled me and I needed a while to sort things out. I had a hard time writing this chapter, but hope it turned out fine.

* * *

With a loud, sonorous and nerve-gratingly never-ending ringing, the alarm clock screeched obstinately like a starving crow and woke Naruto up with a start. Uncertain of his surroundings and still wrapped up in the heavy cloak of sleep, he cracked open an eyelid and hoped that this was a hallucination of sorts which would soon evaporate into mid air. However, it seemed that he hoped against hope: dawn had fallen through the window, lightening the room and bringing into full display the messiness of his room. And nothing evaporated into mid-air -- he was awake, all right.

As if meaning to taunt him further, the alarm clock's mechanism gave off another buzz, but was silenced abruptly. Naruto wasn't in the mood to endure another sound; it was bad enough to drive a man dotty.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm getting up already, man," Naruto muttered to no one in particular, though feeling in the mood to give vent to his frustration. Too bad that Sasuke, his cranky new partner, wasn't present -- that guy was the punching bag he needed. After a week of working with him, Naruto knew as much: that Sasuke, in all his glory, was infuriating and slowly, but surely, driving him batty.

_It sucks. Whatever I do or say makes him bitch: he's cleared my desk, is way too work-driven constantly criticises my doings and ... fuck, even dares to question my eating habits. Well... screw him. I hope Kiba gets better soon. That Uchiha is the worst partner one could have.  
_  
As he rose from bed with less than half-hearted enthusiasm and more with something like annoyance, a crack resounded and Naruto bellowed angrily – he had broken a pencil in two with his right foot; that event, of course, hurt like a bitch and Naruto wasn't very fond of pain. He wasn't a masochist, unlike certain people he knew. He couldn't stop himself from blurting out furiously:

"Why was that thing lying around here? Fuckin' crap!"

The evidence was soon found: a crumbled piece of newspaper told him all he needed to know. He shouldn't have expected otherwise – this was typical.  
_  
Right. I remember… I was filling out that crossword puzzle last night. Thought that it'd help me become wittier 'cause I can't have that idiot insulting me again._

"Well, at least I'm not going to be late this time. Damn."

It would have been fun to lurk around the corners with Shikamaru. Anything was better than seeing that bastard's face again.

_But, oh well. It's not like I've got another choice.  
_

* * *

There were, in general, two sorts of delinquents: the cowards and the wannabe rebels. Now, the cowards didn't cause much trouble, but with the docility of a eunuch, gave in easily: to arrest them was rather boring because it was always the same old story.

The rebels, unfortunately, were quite a different matter; they, instead of making things easy and comfortable, had to make a ball of it and indulged in the good ole' cat-mouse chasin' game. Today, being a Friday and, even though it wasn't officially the thirteenth, this day had all the defining characteristics of it.

Naruto had, for the past ten minutes, run after that no-good idiot. The man, obviously keen on making his life harder, was fast and his legs carried him quickly: cowards could be surprisingly quick, especially when it came to saving their own skin.

Oh no, Naruto didn't like it; sweat was rolling down his forehead, his arms and perspiration stuck to his shirt like glue, making him feel very nasty and filthy. He wasn't a teenager anymore, damnit and he definitely hadn't rolled around in mud. Yet, the cool wetness of sweat suggested it; he felt like he was bathed – coated in – in the very essence of sweat. And he swore that he'd get back at the wanker.

Luckily, the man, blind-sighted and panicked as he was, led him straight into a dead end, somewhere in a dark alley. It smelled bitterly sweet, of rotting apples and vegetables; the garbage cans lined up against the wall nearly looked picturesque, but Naruto didn't have time for such passing fancies. He had to make sure that the man wouldn't escape -- he had no right to escape. They stood facing each other, the man's face rendered hideous by the sheer defiance on his face. Naruto hated him even more for it.

"You're not very smart, are you?" he asked contemptuously. No, he really didn't think of the man as a genius. Anyone who got off robbing old ladies and beating kids up was an idiot by his standards. Hell, licking his lips, Naruto looked forward to teach the man a lesson. Unfortunately, as Tsunade had warned him, he just couldn't allow himself to get too carried away.

"Running straight into your trap, I'd say you're a blockhead."

"Heh. I'm not goin' allow ye to git' me. I'll show ye, wha's what!" the man remarked in his heavily accented voice. Then, reaching for the pockets of his trousers, he shakily drew out a gun.

_Hah. That doesn't scare me…I'll reach out for my own—What the hell! No, this can't be…Don't tell me that I've misplaced the gun. That would make me the blockhead. And a very, very bad kind of cop._

It was unfortunately true; Naruto had really misplaced the gun, remembering that he had pulled it out in the morning to prove Sasuke that he carried the larger arms. Of course, he had forgotten to place it back into his pocket. Wonderful.

_This_ _is all Sasuke's fault. _

Naruto hadn't expected this and he restrained himself from spitting out foul curses. He couldn't risk showing any fear now, not if he wanted to get anywhere. Most of all, he couldn't let that asshole standing in front of him know – that would have been like suicide. Instead, he opted for a directive.

"Put the gun down. Immediately."

"Will not do so"

"Put it down."

"Now, yer no longer th' sure, are ye?"

_This isn't good. If I make a move, he'll shoot. But if I don't, he'll... damn!_

Naruto heard a bang behind and a scream of pain. No sooner had he registered what was going on, the man lay sprawled on the ground clutching his arm and howling with vehemence.

"You shouldn't talk smart," someone else retorted; it was a drawling, arrogant voice, sounding very familiar to Naruto's ears.

Naruto didn't have to think twice; he would have recognised that voice anywhere and, the scary thing was that he hadn't known Sasuke for longer than a week. He didn't like the thought of it: Sasuke wasn't that impressionable, was he?

* * *

"You actually saved my ass out there." Naruto started before, he bethought himself," Not that I needed your help."

Sasuke, whose name still sounded weird in Naruto's mind, merely glared at him, but didn't reply and the other didn't mind. He had learnt that he preferred it infinitely better when his so-called partner was silent; like that, he was spared another migraine. After a period of silence, Sasuke spoke again.

"Here."

A bottle was placed in his hands; it felt cool and he felt the melting ice comfortably glide over his skin. Naruto looked up into Sasuke's face, hoping to find an explanation, but there wasn't any. His expression remained impassive and, in fact, Sasuke's thoughts seemed to be engaged elsewhere.

"What's that?"

"Mineral water. It's not poisoned."

"Heh. Like I'd be worried about something like that."

In spite of his curt reply, Naruto continued to eye the object suspiciously, seemingly intent to destroy the evil lurking within by the sheer power of his gaze.

"You're a bad liar, moron."  
_  
Why do I get the feeling that the guy already knows me from inside out? It's scary.  
_  
The next move Naruto's gut reaction or nobler instincts led him were more than weird and … hell, embarrassing.

"And you're...look, thanks for helping me."

Naruto didn't look into Sasuke's face, but chose to scrutinise the ground for its various pebbles and cigarette butts; he wasn't a coward, no sir. Yet, he couldn't deny the awkwardness of the entire situation.

"You'd be lost without me."

"Don't get all high and mighty now, bastard. I'm not a fucking girl!"

"Tsk. You're too ugly to be one. But you're an idiot for forgetting your gun."

"God, just shut up, will you?"

* * *

The wannabe criminal had been taken care of – finally. Freshly showered and dressed in his usual garb of jeans and a T-shirt, Naruto felt like another person. He also felt adventurous and throwing a glance at Sasuke, who was walking right in front of him, asked:

"Do you want to go somewhere?"

Sasuke didn't stop walking, but a slight tremble of his body indicated that he had heard.

"Where?"

"I'll invite you over for a drink."

"Forget it."

Being the rude jerk he was, Sasuke was already heading for the doorway, hands in his pocket and making Naruto feel like he'd been rejected. That assumption was freakish and inane: he wasn't into Sasuke, even though the guy had looks to die for. Then again, Naruto rarely settled for looks, unless he was looking for something to romp around with. And Sasuke didn't look like the type he'd like to romp around with. Too much of a hellcat.

"Wait. I said I'd pay. What's the problem?"

_That guy is really going to be the death of me. Why do I even bother?_

"What's the point of going anywhere with _you_?"

Had it not been for this unmerited and ungraceful allusion to his person, Naruto would have let the bastard go: he really didn't care to tamper around with people who weren't worth it. But the ingratitude was too much and Naruto had always liked challenges. He was going to make Sasuke come with him, whether the bastard wanted to or not.

"Ok, I'll tell Ba-chan you've been bitching about the pay."

"She won't believe you."

"Wanna try out? She likes me, you know."

It really didn't look like his threat had worked, but Sasuke had turned around and, frowning, seemed resigned – like someone who had figured out that giving in was the best way.

"Fine. I'll come along," he finally muttered, sounding exasperated. "If only to make you shut up."

"And you'll pay, bastard. For insulting me."

"Whatever."

Naruto couldn't hide the grin this time. Blackmail – even his pathetic attempts at it -- definitely had its advantages.

* * *

The pub which Naruto deemed to be appropriate for their further bonding wasn't special in any kind of way: it wasn't flashy; there weren't any gross particulars to share. In fact, except for being small and cosy, with a warmth and cheeriness that one would have expected to find in an Irish pub, it wasn't outrageous in any way. Yet, this was exactly the reason why Naruto loved this place: the homeliness and ordinariness of it attracted him more than the people-flocked and glitteringly modern clubs. The comparatively low price also stood in its favour.

"Tell me, have you never seen alcohol before?" Naruto asked amusedly, not having expected that sort of reaction. He hadn't ever met someone like this before. Well, if he recalled correctly, Shikamaru wasn't fond of drinking, but that hardly surprised Naruto – he knew that alcohol was a far too troublesome concept for the man.

"What makes you think that, idiot?" Sasuke demanded in return.

Naruto rolled his eyes. He really didn't feel like explaining himself – it was bloody obvious. Sasuke was tense: his lips were drawn in a tight line and he hadn't even touched the glass yet.

"Well?"

"You're staring at the glass as if were an insect or some other horrendous thing."

Sasuke snorted in return, still not bothering to raise the glass to his mouth. Naruto lost his patience.

"Come on, if you're too much of a pussy to drink, give the stuff to me."

"I paid for this, you total waste of oxygen."

"You'll never run out of nicknames for me, will you?"

"Shut up."

"Sure. It's not like it makes a big difference. You're absolutely no fun."

* * *

If Naruto had doubted Sasuke's experience in drinking before, he was more than certain now. They hadn't finished two glasses before Sasuke had started to complain of sickness and threatened to vomit right into Naruto's lap. In order to avoid any embarrassing scenes, Naruto had decided to take him out into the fresh air. But he didn't know what else he could do – and to quote Shikarmaru, this was troublesome. He didn't even know where Sasuke lived.

"Man, you should have told me that you can't hold your liquor."

"Shut up."

"So what am I going to do with you now?"

"I don't care."

Naruto admired that Sasuke's voice wasn't slurred and that, apart from his shakiness, he really didn't behave that differently. Being a stuck up moron had its advantages and, in Sasuke's case, even alcohol wasn't enough to make him loosen up. Yet, Naruto didn't waste too much time on these reflections, but returned to the problem at hand.

"Well, I do care. I'm not going to have my ass sued just because of you being found dead in the streets tomorrow."

Sasuke didn't reply, obviously being too busy feeling sorry for himself.

"I'll take you to home then."

"Home?"

"My place."

" Are you tryin' to pick me up…? I'm not doing anything with you – so forge-"

"Just hold your tongue. Or I'll really leave you here. And, for the record, I'll never do anything with you. No worries."

_Who'd want to do anything with a bastard like that?_

* * *

"This place is a fucking mass."

"Not everyone's an anal-retentive, prissy asshole."

Normally, Naruto would have shown more compassion for a man in Sasuke's position, which was positively degrading. With one of his arms slung over Naruto's neck, he could barely support himself and was in dire danger of tripping at any given second. Still, Sasuke was such an insufferable person that, even like this, he managed to rub Naruto in all the wrong sort of places.

"So, I'll let you sleep on the coach and be grateful 'cause it's—"

"It looks hard. "

"So? It's perfectly-"

"I refuse to sleep on that..._thing_."

"Fine, take the bed then, princess."

_I'm not going the waste the night arguing with him – it's a lost cause. And it's better than knocking him out cold. I don't want to get charged for that, either. What a bitch that guy is. _

It was weird how Naruto resorted to giving Sasuke feminine nicknames; he wasn't all that womanly. There was a certain delicacy and fragility in his features, but his height, the lithe muscular built of his body and the decidedly male quality of voice left no doubt on his being anything other than male. Besides, when Sasuke was angry, showing off or smirking, the slight tenderness of his face gave place to something that wasn't quite as pretty.

_I'd consider him pretty, if he didn't frown constantly and...who cares? It's not like it'd change anything._

"Can you walk? I won't do you the honour of carrying to bed. You're no damned bride."

"Just leave me alone."

Naruto found out that he no problem whatsoever in doing just that.

* * *

As predicted, trying to fall asleep on that mercilessly uncomfortable couch was about as useful as taking a bath without water. As much as he feigned not to care, his back ached and his head longed for the softness a pillow. It was useless – he wasn't be able to sleep a wink.

_I hate that asshole. He's such a bother._

Naruto walked into his room, just out of curiosity mingled with boredom; there was nothing better to do and he wasn't in the mood to watch TV. Although it was dark in the room, the illumination falling in through the window, allowed him to catch a glimpse of Sasuke's sleeping features. There shouldn't have been anything captivating about the sight: sleeping people were rarely – if anything – captivating in the eyes of the beholder.

Indeed, what amused Naruto was that even asleep, Sasuke didn't look exceptionally different – he still looked liked a bastard. Still, there was an ever so slight hint of relaxation in his features which made him look friendlier.

_He looks halfway cute when he's not busy being what he is. Weird.  
_  
Naruto didn't linger in the doorstep nor did he find himself haunted by the image: he wasn't some poof. Instead, he briefly wondered what it would look like if Sasuke smiled.

* * *

Sasuke was even bitchier in the morning, but Naruto didn't blame him. Hangovers did suck, after all.

"Take this. I'll get you a cold towel."

"And you think it works?" Sasuke asked dubiously, trusting that "receipt" as much as he would have trusted a foaming, growling dog. Naruto felt like smacking him over the head, but had an inkling that it would have been too cruel. So, he merely scoffed and prepared to leave the frowning bastard in order to fetch the promised item.

"Get on with it, Naruto."

For a short moment, Naruto halted in his steps and turned his head towards Sasuke's direction. This was the first time he hadn't been called anything offensive and, even better, the bastard had finally called him by his given name. Naruto couldn't help feel happier: it was nice to be called by one's name.

"It works. Trust me, Sasuke."

"How would you know?"

"My mother told me; said that cold towels were the best way to cure a hangover."

"She sounds like an interesting person," Sasuke said offhandedly.

"She was."

"What do you mean she 'was'?"

"She's dead."

Sasuke didn't inquire further into the matter, but Naruto sensed that the question was on his tongue. Although he wasn't obliged --- in any way -- to explain things, he found himself answering.

"My parents died when I was twelve. It's a long story, but yeah. "

_No way, am I going to tell him a sob story now. The last thing I want is his pity. _

* * *

"So are things running more smoothly with the Uchiha asshole now?"

"Yes, I think so."

"You sure? You were raving how he's a devil incarnate a couple of days back."

Naruto smiled: he had certainly complained Kiba's ears deaf with his anecdotes about Sasuke; he couldn't help it, though. Sakura had, by means of a punch, given him to understand that she was quite fed up. So, he had turned to Kiba.

"He's not. I mean ... a devil's incarnate. He's bitchy and all, but he's --"

"Tolerable? Not quite as bad as you thought?" Kiba offered.

"No, he's an asshole. No question about that."

"Naruto…"

"What?"

"You'll never grow up, will you?"

"Don't give me that shit. If I say he's an asshole, then it means I can deal with him. It's just that … well…"

"Spit it out. You don't have to be ashamed of good ole' me."

"It's embarrassing."

"Naruto, I've seen you dance around naked, singing 'I'm a Barbie Girl'. It's hard to top that, you know?"

"I was drunk then. You've also done some crazy shit in your time."

"Yes, but will you finally get to the point? Or I'll ring for the nurse and tell her you're bothering me."

"Sasuke… he's not you. I miss having you around because you're cool… Damn, I'm not good at this."

"I get it, Naruto. "

"Chouji has gotten remarkably thinner since you're gone and even Shikamaru misses you. He's grumpier than usual."

"Of course, even he'd miss me. I'm so cool. I'm just a blast."

Normally, there wasn't anything special in such a remark, but Naruto started. This hadn't been Kiba's usual tone – that broken, jaded and ironical tone couldn't possibly have been his.

Kiba didn't have a bitter bone in his body; however, for the first time Kiba didn't look like himself – he wasn't that loud, overbearing and brash guy.

He looked tired and weary, not unlike an old man who has lost all gusto for life. Or like someone, who after years of not staring back at the mirror, had finally dropped a glance at his reflection and realised that it was a skull – dead, hollow and hideous. Naruto decided to step in: this wasn't good.

"Hey, it's not your fault. It could have happened to the best of us."

He wasn't perfect either. If anything, Naruto thought, he was the very epitome of imperfection; he had lost his guard, had allowed emotions to get in the way more than often and had paid the price. But he was fine now and Kiba would be, too. Kiba would walk again, would come stomping into the office with his mutt, his stack of porn and…everything would be the same again.

"It shouldn't have happened at all," Kiba said silently, turning his face in the direction of the window.

"Now, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I've been thinking about things, Naruto. All the time being confined here, I couldn't do anything but think."

Naruto could relate to that – that was why he hated hospitals. Amongst the all too clinical smell, the mushy food and the feeling of helplessness, he hated how being confined to bed forced one to ponder over life and shit. It was enough to make the jolliest fellow depressed.

"It's just that thinking made me realise I gotta change some things. That I've got to leave some things behind, even if it hurts."

"God, stop it. You sound like one of those whiners in a movie."

"I'm serious, Naruto. I … won't come back… even if I'll be able to walk properly again."

"You can't do that! That's crazy! Have you gone mental?"

"Naruto, Hinata's pregnant and I don't want to make her unhappy. I just can't. I love her too much. "

"You could transfer to a koban. There's less danger there and you'd still have enough money to support her, get married and have that house of yours."

Kiba shook his head.

"No. I've decided to drop out of this mess altogether."

Naruto couldn't handle it anymore: he couldn't stand that defeated look in Kiba's eyes. And he wouldn't accept it, under no accounts.

"You know that's bullshit. Being a policeman isn't a mess. I thought you cared about that – how can you just give it up?"

"I've got to, Naruto. It's ne–"

"No, it's bullshit! What you're saying is utter bullshit!"

"Is it bullshit to be considerate? I'm not alone, Naruto. I have a family to take care of. I'd be of no use to them dead! And hell, I don't even know whether I'll ever be able to use my legs again…I don't know what I'm supposed to do!"

Taking a deep breath, Kiba tried to soothe his nerves, but rage got the better of him and he continued to rant.

"You, on the other hand, you just fuck around, never had a serious relationship and could care less about what happens. You don't have anyone. So it's easy for you to say all this, isn't it? "

As soon as the words had fallen, Kiba's face paled. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Naruto felt like he had been slapped in the face; a sensation of numbness mixed with nausea washed over him. He felt like he was going to be sick; the bile was rising up to his throat and he felt boneless, bloodless. Whatever it was, he couldn't remain at this spot any longer.

"Look, you're tired. I better go."

"Naruto…"

"I've used up your quantum of tolerance. I'm sorry. "

"Naruto, I shouldn't have said. I ove- "

"It's fine. Forget it. I'll see you tomorrow."

Naruto knew, in the back of his mind, that Kiba hadn't meant it – that the words had been the result of despair. Yet, he couldn't forget and as long as he couldn't, Naruto had to leave; he didn't want to sour up things between them for good.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

_Notes:_

A very tentative update, as I am having the entire story bet'd at the moment. However, the changes to this chapter will probably be minor. I apologise for the lack of updates. I have had a lot of RL crap happen to me in the past two months – which resulted in an ugly writer's block. I think the transition in this chapter might be odd: it was written during a period starting in late January and lasting till this week. 

If it sucks very badly, forgive me. It's been hard for me to write after feeling so out of synch with everything lately. By now, you should know that all criticism is accepted. 

* * *

Naruto felt like he been drilled in the head, been chasing too long after some car and gotten a good one in a fight. 

Yes, as much as he had criticised Sasuke for his piss poor drinking skills, he now was suffering from the major drawbacks of a very reckless night. He didn't even remember how he had gotten into this kind of situation; everything felt blurry and diffused. The worst thing about it all was that he still had work.

"You're late," Shikamaru commented, greeting him with his usual bored look.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, genius" Naruto remarked snidely, though nothing would have been a more appropriate nickname for Shikamaru. He was amazingly good at strategies and could deduce things out of nowhere: it scared Naruto how bright the guy was.

"And you do look like shit. What's happened?" Shikamaru asked, for once taking the first step. He knew that the latter would start ranting and raving soon: Naruto looked about to explode, in fact, and Shikamaru considered it a service to humanity to allow him to let the steam out.

"Got into a semi-fight with Kiba, then decided to get flamingly drunk and, this morning, woke up next a complete stranger."

Shikamaru merely raised his eyes, but didn't bother to inquire further into the matter; Naruto was grateful because he really didn't want to relive the embarrassing morning all over again. Anyone else would have asked for details, but Shikamaru really didn't care. And if he did, he knew better than forcing it out of Naruto.

It was one thing to have a major hangover, but a completely other to find yourself not only in a completely alien room and to discover that you've just done the deed with some freakish stranger. That was enough to have made anyone – even the very master of stoicism – feel awkward and foolish. Naruto, upon finding himself in this very favourable predicament, had grabbed his clothes and fled the scene as quickly as possible. Of course, he hadn't left the complex before taking his ID and keys along. That would have been stupid and too many stupid things happened to him.

Often, Naruto wondered whether life wasn't really just a jest and the best thing to do was to look on the bright side of life. He thankfully did and figured that the best thing in this awkward kind of situation was to shake it off; he didn't have any other choice.

"Don't look at me like that. Never had something like that happen to you?"

Shikamaru still stared and Naruto appropriately recalled that he had a steady girlfriend: the same one that he had been dating since high school which, in itself, was rather odd. Naruto often wondered whether Shikamaru was too lazy to play the game or truly loved that girl – he opted for the latter.

Sometimes Naruto asked whether he was crazy for not getting settled down at his age, though it was actually the reverse – it was just his lot that most of his friends had already found what they wanted in life. He was still the only one confused and scared as hell of commitment. Yes, he hated the irony in it as well.

* * *

As expected, Sasuke didn't have a cheerful air about him when Naruto strolled over to their desk – it was _theirs_ now and nothing would change in that now. A few days prior to this, Naruto would have vomited at the thought or, at least, groaned in irritation, but he wasn't quite adverse to the idea as he had been before. 

Well, until Sasuke fixed him with a look that promised an early death and possible castration. To hell with it all, Sasuke was still a bastard. At least, as long as he kept looking at him like that. He hadn't killed anyone for goddamn's sake!

"Where were you?" Sasuke asked icily, his voice matching his accusatory attitude perfectly. Then, all of sudden, he relaxed and sighed, making Naruto feel less disposed to hurl himself at him. Still, his sudden shift in mood did scare Naruto a little.

_If this is way of showing me that he was worried, he is doing a pretty bad job at it. _

"You don't want to know. Seriously," Naruto answered, though he knew Sasuke wouldn't intrude further. He was like Shikamaru in that aspect. 

Furthermore, they weren't best pals and, even though, the bonding episode had bettered things between them, Sasuke was far from being someone he would – or even could -- confide in. In spite of that, Naruto was certain that he didn't exactly hate him anymore – and that was a start. He finally took a seat, closing his eyes briefly and rocking his chair until he managed to crash against the floor. A loud thud resounded throughout the entire room and Naruto felt like he had attracted the attention of everyone in the office. Sasuke sighed, once again casting off the impression that he was one wronged and had been placed in an impossible to endure situation. Naruto wanted to smack him, but decided it otherwise: there was no need to cause any necessary trouble.

Besides, his head still hurt and it was bad enough to make him scream. God, how he wanted to...

"Here,'' Sasuke muttered, almost inaudibly, placing a steaming cup in front of Naruto's nose.

"What's that?" Naruto asked dumbly, though he knew what it was. He just couldn't believe it again: this was the second time in a row that Sasuke was actually being kind to him. Weird.

"Coffee."

In all honesty, Naruto didn't like coffee – especially, steaming hot coffee that burned like spices on his tongue. If he needed a wake up call or something to boost up his motivation, he preferred to drink coke – which did the same effect, but didn't taste quite as bitter. Besides, drinking coffee seemed so notoriously grown up and Naruto, thank you very much, didn't want to be classified with the old geezers yet.

"It's not poisoned, I know...Eh,thanks," Naruto said quickly, deciding to drink it, even though he knew that it wasn't what he liked.

Sasuke just nodded his head, as if meaning to say "you're welcome" or "never mind" -- Naruto couldn't be too sure.

By now, Naruto had accepted that Sasuke was man of few words and didn't speak, unless he truly had something to add. That, in a way, made what he said much more meaningful.

Sitting there, beside Sasuke, and watching him laboriously type down one report after the other made Naruto nearly feel bad: he was a slacker and knew that the other was doing half of his paperwork. However, it hadn't jut been an offer of help. Sasuke was a bit obsessed with grammar and style and, by taking over Naruto's work, assured that no one would think badly of them. After all, they were partners.

"You know, I've been thinking."

"How wonderful for you," Sasuke said, in between typing. He didn't even look up once, still preoccupied in typing as fast as he could; he was a fast typist and seemed intent on breaking the world record for "fastest typing per minute".

Naruto sighed, but didn't let it get to him. He didn't want to ruin this new, rather refreshing development their relationship had taken: it was nice to sit beside Sasuke like that and not think of ways how to get rid off him. He had to admit that, in some way, Sasuke was growing on him, albeit it didn't mean that he was willing to elope with him yet.

"You're not as bad as I thought, Sasuke.

Another grunt, followed by the same typing noises. Naruto didn't mind; Sasuke had acknowledged him, in his own way and that was fine. It wasn't like he had expected more. By now, he knew that even a slight indication like a simple grunt meant a lot coming from this eerily quiet and secretive man.

* * *

Sakura was sitting cross-legged on the couch again, with books scattered on each side of her. Lee, who was training for his tournament, was busy practising his moves and this left Sakura under Naruto's guardianship, as the other man had put it. Yet, it still irked Naruto how much Lee genuinely seemed to like him.

"So, did you make up with Kiba?"

"There wasn't much to make up. We were just out of sorts. Or I was," Naruto admitted, looking away from Sakura's questioning face. He still felt pretty guilty over what had happened, even though Kiba's outburst hadn't been warranted – he didn't just fuck around. And even if he did, it didn't mean that he didn't understand.

"He was pretty upset when I visited him this morning, said that he regretted overreacting and all that. He hoped that you'd not taken it to heart."

"I didn't. Don't worry, Sakura. You know that such stuff doesn't bother me at all."

Sakura looked up and Naruto immediately regretted having said those words.

"Naruto, you're an incredibly bad liar. Stop it. Just tell me what's wrong--"

"Nothing is wrong. Why do you always assume that I'm upset over something?"

Sakura mouthed a "because that's what you usually are" and Naruto was forced to give in: women, it seemed, couldn't be fooled that easily. Throwing a dirty look, he sighed and stood up, starting to pace around the room. He couldn't sit still when he felt like a hundred ideas were running rampant in his mind. Finally, he decided that it was useless. 

"Ok. You win. I'm troubled."

"About what? Tell me."

"I've somehow accepted the fact that I'll be stuck with Sasuke for a while now."

"Sasuke?"

"That's his name, you know?"

"I didn't know. What with you calling him 'bastard and asshole all the time," Sakura answered sarcastically, earning another annoyed look from Naruto.

_What is about her and making fun of me? _

"He isn't. But I still miss Kiba."

Sakura didn't answer, but the look on her face was enough for Naruto to continue; he didn't need her back channelling him. He knew that she was all ears, judging by the attentive look on her face – it nearly made him feel naked.

"It's just weird, not having someone who you could easily slip into a conversation with or talk about big boobs and other crap...Sasuke is ... it's just not the same."

"And you can't do the same with Sasuke?"

"Sakura, don't you get it? I doubt the man has even seen boobs before. Judging by his attitude, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a virgin. I'm fairly certain, he's asexual. Do you know that he's not even fond of drinking?"

"Yeah...That's a such a huge waste," Sakura muttered – once again -- sarcastically.

"Oh come on. Don't pretend to be all disapproving now. You're always the first to get flaming drunk when there's a party around."

He wasn't just saying this in order to annoy her – that was one thing Sakura couldn't deny.

"Shut up, Naruto...Besides, I don't really get your point. So, let me get this straight. Sasuke isn't good enough for you because he isn't into fling-things, doesn't enjoy toilet humour and won't talk about boobs? If that's the case, you're really shallow."

"No, that's completely wrong. It's not that. I don't care whether he's into toilet humour or not. I just don't know him at all! That's the problem. I don't know how he ticks, don't know anything about him other than that he's from Kyoto and a perfectionist. How are you supposed to be comfortable around a guy like that?"

Naruto grimly smiled when he thought about it; he had never met someone as secretive and impersonal as Sasuke. Everyone else, even Shikamaru, talked non-stop about their private affairs or attempted, in some way or the other, to be light-hearted. It was escapism, forgetting and simultaneously denial; they couldn't just be cops all the time because, in all due respect, it wasn't the most gratifying of jobs.

"So, try to get to know him? " Sakura suddenly offered, bringing Naruto out of his thoughts.

"Hah. It's not that easy. He's so closed off and, whenever I approach him, he rebuffs me. Even when I had him sleeping over two days ago, he didn't talk much. I'd like to get to know him, but he won't let me. That's all."

Instead of offering him another piece of advice, Sakura's eyes widened and she started to grin rather cheekily.

"Wait, you had him sleep over?"

Oh right, he hadn't told her about that because it had slipped off his mind entirely. Well, not entirely, but he hadn't given it much relevance: it wasn't as if that night had been especially memorable. At least, not in the sense, he considered something worthy of being unforgettable. Sasuke wasn't the type he would have gotten himself involved with. 

_Sure, keeping telling yourself that, hypocrite. It's not like you've been thinking about it all the time. _

"He couldn't handle the drink...so I dragged him home with me."

"And what happened?" 

He could see that Sakura's interest had been caught: she was really all ears this time and hanging on every word he said. It flattered Naruto somehow: it wasn't often that he managed to have people interested in what he was saying. 

"Nothin'. He was cranky, thanked me and then left."

"Sounds very anti-climatic. You sure you didn't leave anything out?"

_Sakura is way too curious. I'm not going to humour her. Though it'd be fun...but I'm not in the mood. _

"What did you expect, Sakura-chan? 'Sides, it's one of my personal rules that I'll never sleep with one of my colleagues."

That was bullshit, of course. Naruto had never been in the uncomfortable situation of feeling attracted to any of his colleagues and had, therefore, never been tempted to start an affair. Most of the people were his friends, but not dating material. Of course, Naruto wasn't looking for anything serious, so it wasn't all that important. 

Of course, he wouldn't start now and Sakura-chan was being nuts to assume that he would do anything with Sasuke. 

"Again, what did you expect to hear?"

"Nothing," she whispered, but Naruto wasn't quite sure.

"I swear that you're worse than Kakashi sometimes."

Kakashi hadn't only been Naruto's mentor when he had first undergone the education at police academy, but he had been one of his father's students. As such, Naruto – along with Sakura – had known the man since his childhood.

"Coming from the guy who helped co-write Jirayia's porn."

"Hey, that's not porn. It's literature."

"Literature, my ass. Since when do you call stuff like that literature?"

"Ever since Shigure Sohma made it into the best selling list."

At that, Sakura threw a pillow at him, but Naruto caught it in time. He loved getting her riled up, especially over her not so closeted fascination with the lustier aspects of life. As much as she feigned to fume now, Naruto knew that she kept an entire stack of that Sohma's books at home. 

"Don't deny it: you love reading his books."

"You're an idiot, Naruto. But, honestly, about that Sasuke thing: maybe it will get better."

"Sure."

"Just trust me."

* * *

Sakura was right in the end, as always. Sometimes Naruto wondered why she hadn't chosen the profession of being a seer. Then again, she was better at being logical and analytical than he would ever be. Besides, he was willing to admit it – he was rather dense at times. And in his denseness, he hadn't realised the one important thing: that the human-being is fallible in many ways, but also quickly gets used to things. 

So, eventually, it did get better with Sasuke. No, he didn't become a better person over night nor did his bitchiness wear off, but in the long run, Naruto -- to say it quite plumply -- learnt to live with it. He figured that he could have done way worse than having Sasuke Uchiha as a partner. Much, much worse. 

Oh yes, he could have ended up having some old, impotent idiot as a partner and that would have been a hundred times scarier. He heard heard of cops going crazy because their of impossible partners.

Although, Sasuke wasn't much fun, he wasn't annoying, didn't trouble Naruto with his personal crap and didn't ask any uncomfortable questions. Besides, he was intelligent, did the paper work on time and, most importantly, Sasuke was reliable. 

Oh yeah, Naruto, thought, he really could have done worse.

* * *

"Ah, it's been so boring lately. Nothing, but rowdies and idiots failing at being evil. I want to do something exciting."

_And exciting definitely involves exhibitionists...God, I'm just fed up of sitting on my arse and watching Sasuke write. That's all he does: type e-tiptiy type. He's so dull. _

Sasuke didn't offer any comment, but Naruto didn't care for his input. He was talking to himself and to anyone who cared to listen, even it included solely himself. 

"Sasuke. Come on. "

"What?"

"Let's do something. Drop the paperwork; we could go for a drink."

"No," Sasuke answered firmly, looking up for the first time. There was a warning look in his eyes, which would have made Naruto slither away, had he been an easily intimated person. Naruto, however, wasn't easily scared away and decided to probe deeper into his partner's wounds. 

"Oh yeah, I forget you were a pussy when it comes to-"

"Shut up," Sasuke told him curtly. 

_Why he's getting irritated. That's rather...cute. _

Naruto now felt himself approaching familiar territory, namely that of being a brat and pestering his chosen victim. 

"It's not my fault you're a wimp."

"What did I tell you?" Sasuke asked tersely, for the first time raising his voice. Naruto believed he could hear the inner wall of restraint breaking inside of the bastard. 

"Oh, I didn't hear. Was too busy contemplating my own brilliance."

"You're..."

"An Idiot?" Naruto offered, grinning and trying his best not to laugh out loud. Sasuke wasn't the only one who could act like a conceited prig. Naruto wasn't an idiot, either. With everyone yelling at him day and night, he had learnt to memorise the nicknames people flung at him -- "idiot" was only the beginning. 

"Whatever."

Indeed, Naruto had definitely discovered the perk of working with Sasuke Uchiha, even if wasn't what he had expected. Perhaps, it wasn't just a matter of getting used to it, but making the best of it as well. 

* * *

At first, Naruto didn't know why they had had been called to this not quite so unknown light district area. Naruto had been overjoyed at first, knowing that it had been weeks since they had done anything interesting. So, to be called to a scene of crime was – as odd as it sounded – enthralling because they finally had something to do. As it was, thinking too much led to depression and, the last thing, Naruto needed was to be depressed. At least, it was something to look forward to until Naruto realised whose murder they were investigating. No one else's but, Orochimaru's – and that name was enough to chill the blood in his veins. 

There was something grotesque in the luxury of the room: the red curtains, harsh and unflinching in their intensity, reminded Naruto too much of blood – ironical, considering that the white, marble floor was splattered in it. 

Also, the red made it all too clear, where the man had made his profit from – namely, drug-trafficking and being a pimp. 

Orochimaru, even in death, didn't fail to send shudders of horror and disgust down Naruto's spine: he had never met anyone, more disgusting and heartless in his pursuits. He avoided look at the body sitting on the chair, lest he didn't have see that ugly visage with the bullet wound etched, strikingly in contrast with the pallor skin of the dead man's face. 

He thought it was sheer irony that he had been sent here, after all this. The investigation ran through its usual procedure: the rooms were checked for any proof the murderer might have left behind. There wasn't anything; the murder had been the act of a true professional: no fingerprints, no witnesses, no nothing. Orochimaru, had lived alone, greedily and lustily draining the life of others to finance the extravagance. And so, he died as he had appeared – with a bang.

Naruto felt sick; there a was tightness forming in his throat and he felt like reeling, as if someone had used him as a punching bag. It wasn't because of the blood: he had seen too much blood in his lifetime. It was the sickening realisation that, in some ways, life had finally come to cycle for him.

Still, as much as he had – internally – waited for this moment, Naruto coudn't claim that he was relieved, if anything, he only felt emptier than before. And he didn't even know why. 

The drive back to the office was accompanied by awkward, uncomfortable and stretching out into eternity silence. For once, Naruto didn't feel like commiserating or joking about things; there wasn't anything to crack jokes about. He just felt compelled to be taciturn. 

"Did you know that man?" Sasuke asked of all of sudden, startling him. He hadn't thought that he had been under Sasuke's scruntinty. In fact, he had been so engrossed in his thoughts, he had forgotten all about the others, including Sasuke. Damn, so the ice-block was more observant than he had originally thought. 

"Oh, you can say that. "

_Really. I have more than enough reason to have known that asshole. _

Something in Naruto's tone seemed to catch Sasuke off guard: he sensed that he had spoken harshly and that his voice had been laced with hatred. 

"Naruto-"

"That man, he deserved what he got. I don't feel sorry. That fucking piece of shit killed my parents. Or was, at least, indirectly responsible."

"Your parents were--?" Sasuke didn't finish. There was no need to because Naruto knew that the sheer agony of the event was etched on his face. He'd never been good with hiding his feelings. 

"Killed. In a crossfire. Yes...I was twelve."

At this point, Naruto could have easily fallen into the David Copperfield kind of crap, relating how it had all happened and changed his life dramatically. But he didn't: he just didn't feel like explaining himself and diving into painful memories. Sasuke didn't strike him as the type who needed to know and, at the moment, Naruto wasn't sure whether he could talk – spill out his guts without going insane.

So, he fell into being quiet again and closed his eyes, shutting out the drone of the buzzing motor and reaching a trance-like state. 

Sasuke was quiet, but seemed to be engaged in his own thoughts. He drove on, with that graceful ease and quiescence that befitted him, and Naruto still closing his eyes, realised that it was fine. 

Naruto attempted to get flaming drunk that night, not caring about anything but the burning after taste of liquor on his mouth. He felt dizzy and spiralling towards reckless and unreasonable euphoria, but he didn't give a damn. This time, he didn't check himself or care to think how idiotic all of it was. 

_I'm seriously fucked up. But, damn, I just don't want to think about it. _

The streets looked different to him – brighter and more crowded than ever. Everything glittered and sparkled annoyingly, blinding his senses even more. Still, he wasn't drunk enough yet to start singing or dancing. Which he felt was better, anyway. 

Naruto would have continued walking through streets, had he not bumped into someone. Just as he was about to apologise hastily, he looked up and the person turned out to be no one other than Sasuke, indeed. 

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, for the first time looking earnestly surprised. 

"Nothing. Getting smashed. It's none of your fucking business."

Now, in that situation, a normal person would have either walked away, insulted Naruto right back or shook his head in distaste. Sasuke, however, stared at Naruto, frowned and, merely shrugged. His next words nearly made Naruto faint: 

"I live in the area and, judging from your state, it'd be best, if you come along."

"Eh...what?"

"You heard me."

"But...why?"

"You'd probably die if I left you here and I don't need a dead partner, dumbass."

* * *

By the time Sasuke had led him to his apartment, Naruto had completely sobered up --not that it had been difficult. He couldn't say that he wasn't excited because his nerves tingled and, well, he had never seen Sasuke's "abode" before. 

The apartment was, as expected, extremely clean, but shockingly sparse and dull in its furniture; it only contained the barest necessities for having a halfway comfortable home. Sasuke apparently belonged to sort of freak who preferred a Spartan lifestyle. The only objects in his small, two room apartment which could considered luxurious were a small old-fashioned TV set and a large collection of books. 

_I pegged him for a bookworm. Damn, he really is dull. _

"Oh, it's very tidy. I bet your Mum is real happy 'bout it," Naruto exclaimed, in order to break the ice. It was uncomfortable enough being in Sasuke's apartment. 

Sasuke tensed for a minute, so much that Naruto thought he had seen a ghost. Sasuke wasn't an easily discomfited person and to see him show even the slightest disturbance of peace made Naruto feel queasy. 

"She...passed away when I was eight," Sasuke suddenly said, his voice perfectly calm. He was so calm, it might have been mistaken for coolness, but Sasuke was still tense and he bit his lips, nearly nervously. 

"I'm sorry."

He meant it. Naruto wasn't the sort of jerk who merely said thing for the sake of decency: he knew what it was like to lose someone. Hell, he knew it so well that it hurt. 

"So, I guess it means that you're father's very proud of you...?" Naruto asked cautiously this time, not wanting to sound callous and off-handed this time. 

Sasuke didn't look at him this time and Naruto, even before the other opened his mouth, felt that he already _knew_. 

"My father died as well...I grew up at my aunt's," Sasuke recounted, as if he were quoting the weather or talking about a boring football match. Then, in a heartbeat, he added: "They were murdered."

_So, that's why you never smile. _

This was one of those moments Naruto would remember forever: the shock and impact of those words nearly robbed his breath away and, all of a sudden, everything about Sasuke clicked in, made sense. 

Naruto felt idiotic things like "hey, now that's a coincidence, we've grown up in similar circumstances" rise to his mouth, but he didn't utter them. Not only would that would have been foolish, but inconsiderate. He and Sasuke, in spite of the circumstances, weren't the same people – as each of them probably felt the pain in a particular, unique way. 

"Who?" he asked, instead, although he knew outright Sasuke wouldn't tell him. 

"No one of importance," Sasuke told him briskly, contemptuously even; there was something indefinably chilling in his voice that Naruto shuddered. 

From the way, Sasuke looked at him and had spat out those words, Naruto didn't quite think that the person, whoever it had been, was of "no importance"; he believed it to be quite the reverse. 

He didn't interfere, though; this wasn't any of his business. Sasuke respected his privacy and Naruto, although he felt curious and concerned, was going to do likewise. There was going to be no prodding in matters, which didn't directly concern him. 

"Do you sometimes think of them? Your parents, I mean?"

Sasuke shot him an incredulous look. That, obviously, hadn't been the right move and Naruto felt his cheeks growing hot and slapped himself on the forehead. 

_Geez, I really am an idiot at times. Damn honesty. _

"Wait...this came out the wrong way. What I meant to say, or mean to say, is that ..."

"Just get to the point."

"Don't you ever regret that didn't have the chance to say goodbye properly? Or "I love you"? I mean that ... I didn't have the chance to tell them how much they meant to me before they left. It was just "bye" and after I found out, they were just gone and there wasn't anything – nothin' – I could do. It was..."

Naruto couldn't finish, but he sensed that Sasuke had understood. 

"I'm going to bed. If you want, you can stay here. I have a spare futon"

Naruto looked around, feeling very foolish again, and gave it a thought. He didn't see any harm in staying because, whatever Sasuke was, he was trustworthy. Moreover, he was safer here than meandering about, futilely looking for distractions. Still, it unsettled Naruto how comfortable he felt. But he was too tired to think any further about it.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Notes: I spent another week wondering what the hell I'm actually doing in this fandom, but regardless of how bad I feel about my writing and how I feel my skills crawled and died in a ditch somewhere, I decided to get over it and just _write_. Because at this point, I could either only get over myself or delete all my pieces ... and just disappear. I l reserve all judgement on how good, mediocre or crappy this is is up to you. I personally like this chapter because it feels like I've gotten my drive back – at least for creating tension. But, honestly, all criticism accepted.

* * *

Naruto woke up to the sounds of cars hooting joyously and a very loud _booming-whooming_ of music – the shrill beat bounced from wall to wall, echoing in perfect clarity the wearisome and questionable whanging. Whanging which needed to be broken into pieces and be dulled away forever – so that not a scrap of its devilish melody remained.

Someone – an idiot, according to Naruto -- apparently thought it was a cool and grand idea to listen to techno in the early hours of the day. Had he felt up to it, Naruto would have gone right over to the origin of this ruckus and arrested the man for disturbance of peace.

Still, as dizzy as his head felt and as out-of-focus as he was, Naruto couldn't claim that he had slept badly – the consequences of having been woken up abruptly didn't count. The futon had been remarkably soft and, this was saying a lot, because Naruto was a hard to please person. He didn't sleep well just anywhere, but needed warmth and, more importantly, softness to sleep well. That along with his knack for chewing pencils was one of the things Naruto was keen on.

Naruto was shocked – nearly bewildered-- when he realised where he exactly was – and how he he had ended up in Sasuke's apartment of all places: it was so surreal and obscure that he pinched himself once or twice, in order to check that he wasn't still dozing.

A quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall told him that it wasn't six o'clock yet; the thunderous, ear-aching music had stopped which made Naruto grin.

Someone probably called the police or had threatened to call them. And so, Naruto could pursue his thoughts more clearly and the absurdity of being here struck him with full force.

"God, this is weird," he remarked, whispering these words, lest Sasuke should be eavesdropping. But he wasn't anywhere in sight and Naruto, barefoot and dressed in his casual wears of loose-fitting jeans and a poorly ironed, sweat-soaked T-shirt, decided to pass the time by analysing Sasuke's little flat. He was a naturally curious person. Now that he was here and no longer quite as self-absorbed in his pain as before, he was quite enraptured to slowly decipher the mysteries behind Sasuke's cool exterior.

He quickly noted that Sasuke was a fan of classical literature and what – surprised him – a collector of foreign novels; he had an impressive library that would have made his former teachers green with envy. So, he wasn't only a bookworm, but some sort of intellectual freak as well. Whatever. Naruto didn't care much for that, seeing he had only read a dozen or so novels in his life that hadn't been porn or comics.

Another intriguing fact was that Sasuke, in spite of the way he lived, was probably quite well-loaded. The few articles of furniture he owned were of good quality, all embroidered and made of material that wasn't easily bought at a cheap price; Sasuke had an exquisite taste, but also conformed to Japanese ideals: his furniture was simple, never overbearing and practical.

And yet, the furniture was dull because it looked as if Sasuke never used them; the entire apartment appeared lifeless, void of having anything personal about it – this could have just as well been a museum, a tomb.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's voice suddenly interrupted him angrily, making Naruto drop the picture on the floor: he hated the sound of Sasuke's voice at that moment – it was same chilly, cold tone that froze the blood in his veins. If Naruto hadn't trusted Sasuke to be his partner and a colleague, he would have run for his life: the creeping quality of his sudden appearance and that fucking voice reminded him too much of a ninja.

Naruto turned around to face the other man and was surprised to see him fully dressed, looking as infuriated and pestered as ever.

_Can't that guy just say good morning or so?_

"Just because I let you sleep here, doesn't give you the right to rummage through my personal belongings."

Oh; that explained the attitude and Naruto felt slightly embarrassed, not that it was such a big deal, of course.

"It's not like you have that much...'Sides, it's only a picture."

Sasuke knelt down beside Naruto and picked up the framed photograph , letting his fingers slide through its surface. An expression of wistful longing crossed over his features, which Naruto would have missed, had he not seen the brief emotion flickering in his eyes – another misconception about Sasuke was destroyed. Sasuke was emotional; he merely did a better job at hiding his feelings better than most people.

"Those are your parents, right?"

A nod of the head indicated that Naruto had been right.

"You take after your mother... she was pretty."

"I suppose."

Naruto wasn't the one to get into weird reflections, but he couldn't help feeling like being caught in a limbo. This was outrageous, this couldn't be the same person he had met on the train. Suddenly, unable to stop himself, he had the impulse to say:

"I've been an ass to you all this time. I would have behaved differently, if I'd known-"

Unlike he had expected, Sasuke didn't react pleased or even surprised, but his features hardened and he walked away from Naruto, his entire stance ready for a fight.

"Shut up, Naruto. I don't need your pity."

"I'm not pitying you, Sasuke. You're still a bastard to me, but I feel I understand partially why now."

"You'll never understand. So don't act like you do."

At this moment, Naruto felt like hitting Sasuke – driving his fist into that immaturely beautiful face– and sent him flying to the nearest wall. That fucking idiot really had the balls to state that he didn't understand pain, when he had nearly spilled out his heart to Sasuke.

"I don't claim to understand yours."

* * *

Naruto had expected Tsunade to call him into her office, especially as investigations regarding Orochimaru's death were still running high; he was sick of it all – and had half an inkling to just shove it. As much as he was concerned the dead asshole could rot for all he cared and, though it was his job, Naruto didn't give damn about who had killed him. He wasn't glad that the fucker was dead, but he couldn't claim that he was unhappy either. All in all, Naruto had no idea how to feel – his opinion on that subject was constantly changing and raging within his breast, sending one conflicting emotion after another spiralling through his brain and, well, heart.

This time, Naruto didn't take on his braggart's attitude, but was so uncharacteristically serious that Tsunade frowned upon seeing him enter. Without any further ado, she pointed him to a chair and, wordlessly, Naruto sat down; he knew what was going to come, but – rather than infuriating Tsunade – he was going to listen for once. He didn't have a choice, either way.

"I'm sorry to have got you dragged into this. I would have avoided it, but --"

"You don't have to apologise. What's done is done," Naruto reassured her. He didn't want her to think that he held a grudge against her. Naruto never had and, considering what she had done for him, he never would. Tsunade didn't deserve his hatred and it sickened him that she was taking the blame. It wasn't her fault that the case had been assigned to them.

"As for the murder, do you have any suspects?"

Tsunade could have just as well asked whether the sky was blue or the moon orbited around the Earth; she knew who the suspects were, but Naruto, realising she just wanted to talk to him, answered:

"The Yakuza probably. Orochimaru, though he was a powerful freelance, was probably making too much money and that's why they got rid of him. As for the murder, it was perfectly handled. Was the work of a professional, not some kid who's new to the business."

The image of Orochimaru's dead face with the mouth agape like a fish's and the damn bullet wound flashed mentally before his eyes again; he shuddered and looked sideways, not wanting to meet Tsuande's look. He could still feel the appalling appearance of that awful room – the luxury, the silliness of it all. And, only now, Naruto recalled that Sasuke had been at his side all the while, going about the whole deal with his usual severity and painstaking attention to detail.

"No fingerprints? No nothing?"

"No. It's like a ghost or phantom had done it. "

"Scary, but not unheard of. Orochimaru isn't the first to go down like this. There have been several cases similar to this. "

Naruto knew of these cases – the ones that were just investigated for the sake of formality, but might just as well have been dropped altogether. Whoever was responsible for those killings wasn't stupid enough to be caught and, moreover, didn't work the usual way either

"But there isn't much we can do." "How's working with Sasuke?

You've been doing well with him, better than --"

"Don't say Kiba..."

"Well, at least you're handing in the paperwork in time now...though it can't be your own doing. Sad to say, the dumb habits you've picked up from Kakashi and my worthless scum of a husband haven't abandoned you."

Naruto couldn't help laughing – Tsunade's "worthless scum of a husband" had taught him more about life than anyone and, well, Kakashi was the one reason why he hadn't flipped. That reminded Naruto that he should finally pick up a nerve and visit the man again, but Kakashi was a such a strange bundle of contradictions and idiosyncrasies that Naruto suffered regular bouts of migraine when he thought of him. Kakashi's only reaction to his so-called trouble with Sasuke had been a quick quizzical glance, after he had finally torn himself away from his precious book and a smile:

_You'll just have to learn work together with him, Naruto-kun."_

"_Yeah, yeah. Teamwork is the best remedy."_

That the man had been right was beyond the question: he should have offered more sympathy, but Naruto knew that Kakashi had been earnest in his advice and, thus, he had to defend him. "You know as well as I do, that Kakashi is brilliant. Though, I'm glad he doesn't work in our department."

"Thank God. It's hard enough to deal with you...but you're not having any problems with Sasuke?"

"No...he's a bitch all right and drives me up the wall, but he's a good man. I'll just have to --"

"Find out how he ticks. Do that."

"Sakura-chan told me so as well. "

"Then listen to her; she's one of the few friends you have with a brain."

"I will."

* * *

The hospital room hadn't changed in appearance and the same sinking feeling of disgust approached Naruto when he entered it. In spite of the nurses' friendliness and the soothing whiteness, the surrounding held nothing, but memories for him – things he never wanted to experience ever again. Besides, he wasn't here to mourn, but to be friend and make Kiba feel better.

"So, how are you?"

Kiba grinned and Naruto could easily discern that his former partner was feeling better, even before the actual answer; it was good to see him like this again.

"Better. Though not quite the good 'ole me yet."

Naruto laughed and good-naturedly slapped his friend on the shoulder. Although, in all decency, he shouldn't have laughed, he knew Kiba didn't mind.

"See, that's what I like about you. You always joke, even in the darkest of moments. Sasuke-"

"Don't talk about him. Please Naruto. Spare me the rant. I know he's annoying you and that you no longer hate him, but there's a certain tolerance level I have for such guys."

"Meaning?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Judging from your description, he either needs a good kick in the butt or to get laid quickly."

Naruto had to supress laughter at the mental image of Kiba kicking Sasuke's precious behind – he knew that if they ever chanced to meet, Kiba would hate Sasuke in a heartbeat. In terms of attitude and temper, Naruto didn't know anyone who was more similar to him and that had made it very easy for him to get along with that dog-loving brute. Only that Kiba was even more easy to anger and, well, had he been in Naruto's place, Sasuke might have felt sorry for being such a stuck up prat.

"Like getting laid has never done anyone any good. Trust me, I'm an expert."

"Then you finally need to get settled down. "

Naruto rolled his eyes, comprehension sinking in at once: Sakura had been babbling too much again and Kiba, who was a well-meaning person, thought he should add his two cents as well.

_If they want me to settle down so badly, they should just arrange a blind date for me. _

Throwing a quick glance at Kiba's bed-ridden form and that knowing smile on his face, however, Naruto found a way to evade the question; he didn't want to discuss his love life with him.

"So are you going to be able to get out of here soon? I bet Akamaru misses you."

Kiba's grinned again and Naruto felt the need to grin back: Kiba's good mood was infectious and he definitely knew how to make others feel comfortable. It was with a pang that Naruto recalled his words to Sakura and how no longer having Kiba as a partner was a shame -- hearing Kiba being happy again was painful because he wouldn't have this daily anymore.

"I sure he does. I'll be glad to have some fresh air again. And I hope I'll be able to walk again."

"I'll miss you. At the office. Being your partner."

"Naruto, it's not that bad is it? Plus, it's not like you've lost me. We're friends."

"I know. I'd just hoped you... you're not going to change your mind? Are you?"

Kiba shook his head, but smiled again. "Stop being that morose, Naruto. You're scaring me. Aren't you the one to usually just smile, in spite of everything?"

"Yeah, you're right – I'm just--" Naruto couldn't help shaking his head and feel a bit bemused; he didn't like it when usually "oblivious to all things" people like Kiba could accurately read his emotions. Of course, he could have been underestimating Kiba, but Naruto still didn't like it.

"I understand. It's not that easy to replace Kiba Inuzuka."

"Shut up. At least, Sasuke's not half as messy as you are. And he doesn't smell like dog piss."

"Don't talk about that guy, again. What are you.. in love?" Kiba shouted and Naruto nearly choked in his own spit.

"Are you fucking nuts? No! He's just-"

"Then stop it. Or I'll really think you're obsessed.

* * *

As Naruto walked out of the hospital, a sudden thought struck him. Admittedly, as spontaneous and dim-witted as it was, he couldn't help fancying that it might not be such a bad idea. After all, he didn't have anything better to do: Sakura was meeting up with Lee, probably engaged in all sorts of mentally-scarring acts involving Fuzzy Brow Eyes and as for Shikamaru... well, he had better plans. Today, Nara would be lucky and another person would be graced with his fantastic personality – and no, he wasn't doing this because he was _in love_.

Kiba was just a moron, at times.

* * *

Unfortunately, Sasuke didn't seem to share Naruto's opinion of his being fantastic nor anything of the sort – the disgruntled and peeved look on his face after answering Naruto's ringing wasn't very enthusiastic, to say the least. Naruto, however, wasn't scared away into submission – in this case leaving – so easily. He wasn't going to give up.

"What are you doing here?"

"Dropping by as a colleague and, possibly, a friend. I'd figured that you spent most of the time sulking and brooding here. It's not good."

"I decide what's good for me or not. Just leave me be."

"Hey, that's rude, bastard. I came all the way you to see you and you're being all uptight... That's the thanks I get for being nice to you."

This reproach seemed to work – effectively. Sasuke sighed and, overall, gave the impression of just giving up – he probably knew that there was no chance of saying "nay" to Naruto.

"Just come in. But take the shoes off."

"Yes, I will. Mum. "

_What does Sasuke think I am? An idiot?  
_

He couldn't help rolling his eyes, even though there wasn't unusual about that request – just that the implication behind it made him want to insult Sasuke even more. Not being offered any seat or something of the sort, Naruto made himself comfortable on a nearby chair. Obviously Sasuke wasn't gracious or polite enough to offer it himself. And he couldn't help pointing that out:

"You're very kind, Sasuke. You'd give a foaming wolf a run for his money."

"Shut up. What did you come here for, anyway? I thought you had other people to bother. Like that procrastinator Nara or that fat ass Chouj- or even better that bug-freak ..."

Suddenly, Naruto felt that long-repressed yearning to hit Sasuke again – to smash his fist against that pretty face and make him bleed for the bullshit he was saying. He didn't care what the Uchiha had gone through – it gave him no right to talk like this about his friends, about the people he trusted with his life. However, throwing a quick glance around the apartment and remembering his good intentions, Naruto took a deep breath and tried to soothe the more primitive aspects of his character. He wasn't going to wreak havoc. Yet.

"Don't judge them that harshly, Sasuke. They're excellent cops in their own right. Shikamaru is a genius, probably better at getting the full picture than any of us, Chouji is hard-working and earnest and Shino... why, his analytical skills come very close to Shikamaru's... Not everyone is a cold-hearted bastard like you."

"Why, thank you for thinking so highly of me."

"It's the truth, Sasuke. You're so anti-social and distant that no one wants to get know you. You're a hard nut to crack, I'd say nearly bitchy. But, once one does -"

"I'm not listening to this crap. What did you come for, Naruto? To give me an analysis of my habits and my quirks?"

"No, I just want to know who you are and why you tick the way you do. You're my partner, Sasuke. As long as we work together, I'll care about you. No, scratch that, I do care for you."

At that instant, Naruto nearly slapped himself in the face – he had no clue what he was saying here. Was he losing his mind?

_Why do I sound like I'm professing my love for him? He's not some ... girl, I'm trying to woo. Fucking Kiba. _

"I don't see what this has to do with our work."

"But I do. Because working with someone also means trying to be friends with them. "

"I don't care for friends," Sasuke replied and the way he uttered it implied that he was losing his patience. But Naruto didn't care: he knew that he was getting under Sasuke's skin, but then again, this was the only way to reach him.

"Well, suit yourself. Because you're going to end being very unhappy and fucking depressed one day, if you're going to continue like this."

Not that Naruto had any idea about these sort of things, although Kakashi with his odd habits and even odder behaviour patterns, had once dropped a hint of something along the line – and Kakashi knew what he was talking about. Naruto trusted him beyond everything.

"Like you're that much better, Naruto... don't forget that I was the one who brought you here yesterday."

Sasuke was wrong: Naruto didn't see himself pushing people away or judging them from the get-go. He wasn't like Sasuke at all and... even if he was... Sasuke wasn't any better than him!

"That's not...Sasuke... forget it. I did make a mistake coming here. I thought you were... do you care about anything, other than being a prick and hurting others?"

_I'm fed up of hitting my head against a brick wall, each time I try to get close to you._

"The only thing I care for is seeing that one person dead. "

A pause came over them both and Naruto, not getting it entirely yet, scratched his head and staring at Sasuke, asked:

"Who?"

"That's none of your business."

_Not that again. _

"The murderer of your parents? I'm not a genius like Shikamaru, but even I can put two and two together. I didn't become a cop, just for fun, you know?" he said sarcastically, wishing he could hate Sasuke for constantly undervaluing his abilities.

"I won't rest until I see him dead."

Naruto felt like he had been punched in the guts: the retort he had been planning dissolved and died down his throat. Yet again, Sasuke's unmoving and determinedly cool voice sent shivers of horror cascading down his back – it was hatred, pure and unadulterated hatred intermingled with such bitterness and pain that Naruto trembled. So, Sasuke had only come to Tokyo for one reason – for one fucking, obsessively single-minded objective. Naruto felt that he should say something, but this was too much – he had never been confronted with such blinding hatred. Because he had never imagined that someone could hate like this, with such despair, even though he knew the extent of that feeling very well himself. It hadn't been different when his own parents had died – back then, the knowledge of not being able to do anything had nearly driven him crazy, over the border. The same when he had finally seen the bastard and still couldn't kill him – that had been bad enough to make him to want cry.

_But I didn't want his death. It's all too ... fuck it. _

The cop inside of Naruto couldn't help noting – once more – that whoever had killed Sasuke's parents must have been close to Sasuke, possibly someone Sasuke had trusted a lot. The impact of the betrayal – the ultimate act of crushing Sasuke's belief in the world – was all there, in the ghastly loneliness of Sasuke's apartment, his antisocial tendencies and, moreover, in the undeniable desire to kill.

"Sasuke...I'll..."

He had no idea what to say; he was at a loss – he, Naruto Uzumaki – hadn't the damnest idea on how to react properly: he couldn't just shake it off or laugh at Sasuke's words. Hell, it would have been much easier to insult him, throw a few punches and walk away, pretending that Sasuke wasn't anything but a dick with a stick up his --

_No, he's nothing like that. _

Then, inexplicably, he stood him up from his seat and approached Sasuke, who never ceasing to stand, drew back and seemed alarmed. But Naruto didn't waver and continued to approach Sasuke until they were so close he could feel the other's breath against his cheek. Sasuke didn't move, didn't walk away, but Naruto could sense the confusion and, what astounded him -- fear.

He looked into Sasuke's face – that no longer quite as unemotional mask and for the first time saw who Sasuke really was. This wasn't the self-satisfied bastard he had met on the train or the anal-retentive bitch with no drinking skills, but a person who was deeply hurt and still hurting; his wounds having never healed.

In some way, Naruto saw a part of himself staring back at him, though it shouldn't have been possible – still, Naruto felt he understood, better than anyone else.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Naruto's was even closer to Sasuke, feeling their noses nearly touch; the black eyes were questioningly fixed on him and watching his every move.

"Don't. What are you do-?" Sasuke was asking him, but Naruto didn't pay attention nor let him finish.

Naruto had kissed many people before, experienced all sorts of kisses from the slow-gentle ones to sloppish, wet sucking kisses that produced those slapping noises. But he had never, not once, felt such a shiver of excitement run down his spine nor quite as electrified as this: it was only a brush, lips being pressed against lips and, what more, it wasn't reciprocated.

Sasuke was as still and stiff like a stick, but his lips were warm and Naruto was sure that, if he pulled him closer, his body would be equally warm. But he never got the chance because Sasuke pulled away, pushed Naruto away and, looking positively beside himself, furiously exclaimed:

"Don't you dare fucking touch me again...Get out!"

* * *

Naruto couldn't stay in Sasuke's apartment after this – the stifling and oppressive atmosphere of that tomb-like flat had depressed him ... and Sasuke obviously had wanted him to leave. Very obviously, might be added. Sure, he could have defied Sasuke and just remained rooted on the spot out of spite, but he didn't see the point. He was tired, fed up of with everything – this constant back and forth with Sasuke was beginning to get frustrating. The streets, for once deserted and not flooded by pedestrians of various shapes and sizes, was calming to him, enabling him to breathe freely. Yet, wrapped up in thoughts of Sasuke and Sasuke only, Naruto didn't realise he bumped against someone else until it was too late.

"I'm sorry. "

"It doesn't matter," a familiar-sounding voice told him and Naruto was forced to look up, honestly surprised. He felt a wave of – which was weird and unexpected – of excitement pulsing through him.

_This can't be. _

For a moment, he nearly opened his mouth to let out a sarcastic comment, but then he realised that the man wasn't Sasuke – as similar as he looked. Indeed, the man's facial features and even the stance itself were strikingly familiar; it was the same beautiful face, the same arrogant and slightly aristocratic manner of presenting himself and that voice – that disinterested and cool voice – was so much like Sasuke that Naruto felt compelled to smack himself. Perhaps, he was dreaming...?

Still, the man was older by at least eight years and there was a harshness in his entire person that Sasuke didn't posses: his eyes were colder, more aloof and Naruto shrunk back, not liking that look in the least. There were scars on the man's face – which, oddly, didn't disfigure his appearance, but only made him look more sinisterly beautiful. But there wasn't anything welcoming about him.

Although mere minutes had passed, he felt like he had been staring ages at the other pedestrian and, what irked him, the person didn't seem to mind at all; he was neither disturbed nor freaked out. Instead, he only looked at Naruto with what appeared to be mild interest – the sort of interest you'd show to a bug being squashed or a speck of dust on the floor.

_If this were Sasuke, he would have lashed out at me – called me names and such. _

"I'm Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's elder brother."

For a moment, Naruto wasn so flabbergasted at hearing him speak that he froze – he hadn't expected the man to address him like this, out of nowhere.

"Weird. Sasuke didn't tell me he had a brother."

Then again, Sasuke didn't tell him many things and, really, he wouldn't have been surprised if Sasuke had revealed himself to have been a former cross-dresser. He knew precious little about his partner, other than ... yeah. He knew nothing, to be honest.

"We're not necessarily on good terms," was his quick retort, spoken casually and without the slightest hint of hesitance.

"Uzumaki, Naruto. I'm Sasuke partner."

"I know. I have to go now. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Before, Naruto even had the chance to register what had happened, Itachi turned around and walked away, his footfalls colliding gently against the pavement – he moved elegantly, like one of those gangsters in a film noire.

Naruto shook his head, marvelling he had never met a stranger person before. But he didn't waste any other minute on Itachi, thinking that whatever business Sasuke had with him and why he hadn't mentioned his brother didn't concern him directly. Sasuke was...Naruto couldn't find words that described how infuriating and maddeningly complex Sasuke was; he had no idea why he bothered this much. And it annoyed him, greatly. So, pushing his hands in his pockets, Naruto walked home himself, feeling that he needed to go home and watch himself silly before the telly. All of this was getting far, far too messy and, to quote Shikamaru's favourite phrase, troublesome.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_Notes_: I am a bit nervous sharing this chapter because the response to the last chapter was mind-blowingly fantastic: I do appreciate the praise and criticism you left me. In fact, it makes exceedingly nervous about this chapter – but that's an old hat. I am always nervous about sharing anything I write – in Basil Hallward's one words "it reveals too much of myself". This chapter took me longer than expected, as after reading VoTE and being overly depressed about that, I got into a Bleach craze – to nurse my wounded heart. On another note, I've just been busy with RL as well – and, thus, have less time to write as much as I would like to. Much love goes to **Kaikouken **for bet'ing this, without whom this would be decidedly worse. There might be some silly errors lingering here, since I did edit some things later on -- and those mistakes are mine. Mine entirely.

Reviews, concrit, flames or death threats are welcome.

* * *

"Shit for brains, son of a bitch," Naruto muttered to himself as he entered his messy, small-looking and very stuffy apartment. A bloody annoying sight, it was. Of course, as he had been rather preoccupied with Sasuke, the bloody fucker that had been Orochimaru and the absurdly idiotic thoughts circulating in his brain lately, he had neglected his flat quite a bit. Yet, as long as there were no cockroaches crawling about the place, Naruto figured it wasn't such a big deal. Still, on this day, the sight of the mess did startle him – so much that he nearly reeled from the oppressiveness.

The window hadn't been opened all day and it reeked of dust, smelly socks and something he couldn't define. He preferred not to rack his minds what the smell was because it really wasn't worth it. After all, he didn't want to spill the contents of his dinner all over the floor.

"Fuck," he swore loudly, but then slapped his arm against his still moving mouth to stop himself.

He couldn't be too loud here, unless he wanted to get thrown out: his neighbours were even bitchier and more irritable than Queen of All Bitches, Sasuke. And Sasuke, as quiet as he seemed, was actually a boiling hothouse – his words hurt more than a hundred thousand needles sinking deep into one's skin. Still, his neighbours, a grimy old git and his hag of a wife, were the sort of people whom you had better not anger. Also, Naruto really didn't have enough money to search for a new apartment now and, well, moving in with Kakashi wasn't an option.  
Naruto was restless and it was all Sasuke's fault.

Sasuke...

That name; it made him want to smash something to pieces again, bite his lips and scream. He hated Sasuke's guts, wanted to curse him and his bullshit-worthy antics to hell and make him understand that Naruto wasn't to be trifled with. However, damn bloody hell, the sad thing about the whole business was that it was a lie. A big fat lie.

No, Naruto didn't want to bash Sasuke's pretty face in nor make him pay for whatever he had done. There was nothing to pay for.

The only thing Naruto wanted was to relive that moment again: the feel of Sasuke's soft, very soft lips against his own, the confused look fixated on him and, moreover, to finally make Sasuke submit, to get so close to him it until it burned. Finally realising what he was actually, thinking Naruto was confused, but, moreover, excited.

_I've never been so stuck up on a kiss before. Never and it wasn't even worth the fus -What the hell, who am I kidding? It was beyond maddening._

Naruto groaned in frustration, kicked off his shoes, which landed in some remote corner of the living room, and not bothering to take off either his sweater or jeans dropped on the bed. He couldn't fall asleep, though, because he still felt puzzled, his emotions nagging at him and making him feel like he was losing his mind.

In his torment, Naruto turned over and faced the ceiling with a determined, nearly idiotic look: he wasn't going to please Sasuke by showing his distress. He would be perfectly indifferent. Sasuke could go fuck himself sideways.  
Because, Naruto had no right to be called Naruto Uzumaki, if he relented now. He wasn't a coward, unlike some people he knew.

* * *

"_Don't tell me not to fucking touch you again, Sasuke ... because you're the one who started it this time," Naruto whispered, using his position to the utmost advantage and licking Sasuke's earlobe. Sasuke's supposed protest came out as a shaky sigh, growing into a moan and his body arched underneath Naruto's. _

_  
Feeling daring, Naruto proceeded to lick Sasuke's neck, while his hand travelled downward to touch the skin below, making Sasuke groan. He couldn't believe how sensitive the guy was. _

_  
To his innermost relief, Sasuke didn't push him away nor do anything else, but shuddered noticeably under the touch and gasped, as if not believing that licking could be associated with pleasure. Then again, Naruto decided that he would show Sasuke that a lot of things could be thrilling, including licking. _

_  
"Leave me--"_

_  
He was fucking hot, too hot to be left alone, Naruto thought and kissing him again and he was getting closer and closer to ..._

* * *

"Shit," Naruto swore, sitting up straight in bed and rubbing his sweating forehead angrily. He felt pools of sweat enshrouding his body and, as expected, he had fallen asleep in his clothes again. And the sheets needed changing.  
This couldn't be happening. No, not now. Not when he'd been dreaming something so uniquely awesome, but that was not the worst. He was late; he didn't even have to bother looking at the clock.

He had forgotten to set the alarm clock and, to make this whole morning even more aggravating, he had overslept, but not an hour or two, but, well, the entire morning. The clock merrily hanging on the wall told him it was noon – the sort of time when his colleagues went out for a snack. And, well, this was beyond fantastic – in a sarcastic way.

"You're beyond late this time," Shikamaru suggested and Naruto wanted to punch him, just to wipe that knowing grin out of his face. he had no idea what Naruto had been going through. This time, they weren't even inside of the department anymore, but Shikamaru, apparently just returning from his break, was falling into step with Naruto, also on the way to office.

"Did anyone say something?"

"Oh yes, Tsunade nearly broke into a rant of how much like -"

Naruto rolled his eyes: that woman was way too predictable. He was fond of her, the way one was inclined towards a grandmother or an aunt, and knew that underlying her sternness, Tsunade was actually worried about him.

"I know, I'm like Kakashi. Fuck that, I've heard it a hundred times before. She'll forgive me."

"She will. Definitely, but your partner, Sasuke, was pretty pissed."

_Partner? I'm not sure._

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that and quizzically stared at his old time friend, wondering whether he was pulling his leg. Oh yes, he could understand Tsunade being a little fed up, but Sasuke...? Judging how things had gone yesterday, Naruto doubted whether Sasuke cared about him at all. Honestly, he wondered whether the man cared about anything, apart from doing his vengeance thing. Not that he necessarily blamed him, but Sasuke being that freaking obsessive didn't make things simpler.

"How could you tell? He's about as expressive as piece of rock."

"He was quieter than usual and, well, just sat there in the corner, look like he'd want to kill someone."

_Which, ironically, isn't too far away from the truth. Damn you, Shika, for being so smart._

"Whatever. He'll come around. "

"Sure."

* * *

Feeling all his eyes on him, Naruto walked a bit self-consciously over to his desk: he knew that he had caused an uproar again and, as careless as he usually was, he had to admit that this was a little embarrassing. He bet that Tsunade, in all her frankness, had probably called him quite a few names in front of his comrades and, damn, he could just imagine what they thought of him now.

Overprotective old --

"So, you've finally come, dumbass. I don't know what you're thinking at times. Seriously,"Sasuke piped in, interrupting Naruto's flow of thoughts. He looked extremely pissed off, his upper lip biting his lower one and his eyes sternly fixed on Naruto. Naruto, meanwhile, had all forgotten about Sasuke's presence and now, noticing him, couldn't fight back the urge to curse loudly.

"Where were you?"

"Don't ask me where I was. I got lost on the road of life," Naruto quickly said, before Sasuke could finish his lament. Of course, nothing better than Kakashi's stereotypical response had come into his mind, but it had to suffice.

"Road of life? Heh. Stop fucking around with me."

"Me? Fucking around with whom? It's you who's constantly screwing around with my mind."

_Bastard. _

Naruto could barely sit still because he felt so restlessly angry; his fists were clenching at his side and there was that maddening rush to run out of the office, in order to vent his lungs out. He wanted to scream, rip his hair out and, most of all, just shake the fucking stubbornness out of Sasuke. What that bastard need was good reaming.

"Shut the hell up."

"Fine. Like it's an honour talking with you."

Sasuke huffed in response, scowled and turned away from Naruto, resuming the nerve-grating typing of his. It was all he seemed to do, consciously angering Naruto.

God, I wish I could hate you; push you off some damned cliff and pretend that you'd never come back again.

_Infuriating asshole._

"Good, do what you do best – push me away, again."

"Shut the fuck-"

Naruto was just about to retort the same when a cough behind them put an end to their little discussion. Of course, to make matters worse, it was the soft-spoken and extremely quiet Shino – a guy Naruto respected for his seriousness and intelligence. Besides, he was one of the few who didn't impose Naruto with "important and valuable lessons on life".

"I'm really sorry for interrupting your animated talk, but Tsunade's calling for you."

"Then, why didn't she come herself?"

Although he had an idea, Naruto was just annoyed. He had been about to rub a good one Sasuke and now they had been interrupted.

"She just said to come to her office, Naruto. And that includes you too, Sasuke."

"Fine, we'll go."

* * *

After much bitching from Tsunade about the impropriety of Naruto's late-coming, she had assigned them with paperwork, boring stuff that made Naruto grumble and earn another lecture from her. To make matters worse, she – with an evil grin plastered on her face-- had assigned him with even more loads of paperwork. Fortuna was really not disposed to grace him with her charms today.

"You bastard, if you hadn't been so bitchy, I'd not be stuck with this now."

"Hold your mouth, Naruto."

They lapsed into an uncomfortable and extremely awkward silence; Naruto was too adamant to pay Sasuke a lesson and the other, well, was just being a the stubborn prick he usually was. Naruto could have spent the entire day just listening to Sasuke typing and sighing occasionally, as if each sigh were another attack directed at him.

Still, he was growing bored and the typing noises in the entire office were making him feel sleepy; it was hot and stuffy as well. So, Naruto started to chew on his pencil, slowly and absent-mindedly. He was on the verge of falling asleep when Sasuke stopped doing whatever he did and angrily exclaimed:

"Will you stop with that noise?"

That was all Naruto needed to wake up again; he really didn't get it. What the hell was the matter with the stupid brat today? All Sasuke did today was whine and cast death glares in his direction.

"What. I'm not doin' anything. Take a break or somethin', I think the heat's getting to you, Sasuke."

"No, I'm working."

"Then, just deal with it," Naruto growled," Not everything has to be to your liking, Sasuke-chan."

That worked. Sasuke immediately stopped doing his work and looked ready to lunge himself at Naruto.

"Shut up, you -"

"No. I won't."

* * *

Eventually, it seemed that that the day did get better – Naruto and Sasuke had been called to take care of some troublemakers. It was an easy enough job: track down some gangster, hold out a gun, watch until they pissed off into their pants and then ran off. Most of the time the arrival of the police sufficed for the handcuffs to click and to arrest the despicable moron.

"I don't see why you're so pissy today, Sasuke. I mean I know you were petty, but do you have you so fl-"

"Leave me alone."

Crossing his arms and sighing needlessly loudly, Naruto was tempted to stick out his tongue at Sasuke. This was nerve-grating and, to be honest, it was growing rather old. As much as Sasuke complained and vented out his poor soul, they were partners and, being policemen, they had to work together.

"Can't. We're in this together."

Sasuke remained quiet and, instead, focused on the information they had received – he seemed intent on ignoring Naruto as much as possible today.

* * *

"I can't fucking believe you let him go."

Naruto suddenly turned in anger, his face growing red and his breathing growing quicker at an alarming speed. He had just spent a good twenty minutes running after some no-good jerk and Sasuke, who should have helped him, had fucked things up by letting the guy go. Just because he was too busy being angry over nothing.

"That wasn't my damn fault. You're the one who should have paid attention, bastard."

"Hardly. Why the hell did you ever become a cop for? You're stupid, disorganised and -"

Truthfully, Naruto knew those things were right – he was disorganised all right and wasn't always the brightest crayon in the box. Yet, in spite of it all, he knew he made a good cop. He had never wanted to do anything in his life, but protect people from experiencing pain or losing the one's they loved.

"And you're only doing this for revenge, Mr-oh-so-honourable. "

"You don't have the right..."

"But I am right, aren't I?" Naruto said, taking a deep breath before continuing," The entire point is that you're a selfish, moronic asshole. Who thinks that world resolves around him. You fucktard. You're not the only who's been through hell."

Naruto knew what pain was, had tasted the bitter gall himself and, fuck it, Sasuke had no idea what it had been like. If he couldn't understand Sasuke's pain, then Sasuke couldn't pretend that Naruto was an overly optimistic moron, either.

That, of course, broke Sasuke's restraint and with reflexes that was amazingly swift, he grabbed Naruto by the hem of his shirt and drew him close. Naruto's eyes widened and he thought Sasuke was going to land a fist on his face, but he seemed to relent and, instead letting Naruto again, stated:

"You don't know what it's --"

"I do. And if you say another word, I'll kick your ass so hard, you'll regret it."

"You wouldn't dare."

Oh, Naruto grinned sarcastically, Sasuke couldn't have known – Naruto dared to do a lot of things and wasn't too be underestimated. Years of training had made him strong and Naruto knew he could pummel someone to death, if he wanted to. He had. He had nearly killed Orochimaru then and, the only thing stopping him from his objective, had been the sickening feeling growing in his stomach. Had he killed the man, he would have hardly been better than that perverse, base bastard.

"Forget it, Sasuke. I... it's not worth it. I'm going home."

"Wait, we're not finished!"

"We are. You already said everything you wanted to say. And you've shown very clearly that you don't give a damn about me."

"You..."

"Just fuck you, seriously."

With that, Naruto walked away and, never turning back, let Sasuke standing there in the deserted alley, surrounded by trash can filled with piles of dirt and the darkness encompassing the whole place.

* * *

It was slowly darkening outside, the intense yellow of day was quickly fading to something softer, allowing darker shades to take over. Naruto was thankful because his apartment looked halfway cleaner when it wasn't basking in gloriously bright light. In the daylights, his apartment looked so shoddy that Sakura threatened to come over and teach him a lesson or two in household matters.

_One of those days, I'll bring organisation into the mess. But ... yeah. Not today. I'm not Sasuke. _

He had been barely five minutes in when he head a furious knock on his door – probably one of his neighbours, Naruto thought. They always bothered him about one thing or the other. Then again, it couldn't be them because his neighbours, as daft and moronic they were, didn't bang that loudly.

Annoyed, Naruto made haste to answer that knock, which had been followed by a series of irate banging and ringing noises against the door.

"I'm comin'. Man, what the hell?" he said exasperatedly to no in particular and made way to the door, forcing his tired limbs to move quickly. Although he felt like just going back to the couch and let that idiot a-knockin' on the door to die in some fucking ditch.

"Look, whoever you are buddy, you don't have to make such a noise. I'm not de-"

The words literally died on his tongue and, for a sheer second, Naruto could only glare dumbly – like one of those cows standing in a field. This hadn't been the person he had expected, least of all wanted to see here. To be honest, this was the worst case scenario.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Naruto nearly shrilled, feeling like this some sort of bad joke. First the guy insulted him, then questioned his abilities as a cop and, now, he was standing here, looking as innocuous as possible. Sasuke was about the most annoying asshole he had ever met.

"What do you think?"

"Go away. I didn't invite you."

But Sasuke walked straight in, past Naruto to the living room and took his shoes off. Naruto restrained himself for doing something lethal; his hands trembled and he wanted to punch a hole in the door just to ease his nerves. But, feeling, this would be futile, he closed the door behind him and said again:

"You're uninvited. It's impolite to enter a house without havin' been previously invited."

"Like you're the one to talk."

"Well, what you do want? I'm in no mood to hear your crap. Either get the fuck over yourself or leave me alone. "

_  
Smooth Uzumaki; you just want him to punch you, right?_

"I've realised one thing, Sasuke. You're the most complicated person I know."

"I...you have no idea who I am."

"No. I don't. But I know one thing: you're a coward. A stupid and very stubborn coward."

"I'm not a coward!"

Sasuke's growing anger was delicious to observe and Naruto's inner trickster couldn't help being euphoric. If he had known that it was so easy to get under Sasuke's skin, he would have attempted it look before. Because, honestly, making Sasuke angry just was funnier than anything else – like this, the bastard showed that he was capable of being a human-being and not infallible.

"But you are. And the sad thing is, you're losin' out so much because of that."

"What? Being like you? I'd rather die than be like you."

Oh, that stupid wanker. Did he really believe that, he, Naruto cared? What others thought of him?

_I've been used to such comments since childhood. _

"And I'd rather drink toilet puss than live like you do. Because you're not alive, the way you're right now."

"There's nothin-"

"Anyone who's a coward isn't alive. You're pitiable."

"Shut up."

And this time, it was Sasuke who disallowed Naruto from saying anything in return by forcefully smashing against his lips against the other's. Naruto's eyes widened, he leant back against the wall and, finally accepting this was real, closed his eyes. This wasn't a normal kiss, not the type of kiss he had dreamt of or expected to share with Sasuke. Oh yes, Sasuke's mouth was soft, warm and, fuck, he didn't how to kiss – because, whatever, this was it didn't count as kissing. Sasuke was smashing his lips against him, suffocating them both nearly, as Naruto hadn't grasped what was going on. Not entirely.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Naruto asked, mimicking horror and disgust.

"What does it look like, idiot?" Sasuke growled, his cheeks reddening and, folding his hands over his chest, he looked positively adorable.

_God, he's cute. More than cute. He's sexy, even like this. _

Naruto had to laugh – so, this was the reason why Sasuke had been so angry. He was inexperienced and pure as white snow, something that should have had Naruto running straight for the hills, but – truthfully – made him feel more than ever attracted to Sasuke. It made him feel kind of proud that he had been the first.

"That's not a kiss. You've really done this before, have you?"

"Don't --"

Naruto kissed Sasuke again, gently by just pressing his lips against the other man's. He marvelled at how soft and warm Sasuke's lips were. Feeling a little courageous, he touched Sasuke's cheeks, ran his calloused hand through the skin and then touched a few strands of Sasuke's hair – it was thick, fine and, again, awesomely soft.

"I'll teach you."

This time, half pulled, half dragged Sasuke towards the couch, his heart beating wildly against his ribcage and feeling very light-hearted. He knew that, under normal circumstances, what he was doing could be considered suicide and that Sasuke could kick his ass so hard till he wept. But he didn't care.

Neither did Sasuke seem to care, for he didn't push him away. Not even when Naruto forced Sasuke to sit down and caught his lips in a kiss again. This time, Sasuke responded, a little hesitantly, but it didn't matter – he was kissing Naruto back, pressing his lips insistently against the other's. His hands snaked themselves around Naruto's shoulders and he relaxed into the kiss, allowing himself to be pushed deeper down the couch.

It wasn't enough, though. Besides, Naruto thought they he could apply a little more force, seeing that they weren't in grade school nor little girls. He deepened the kiss, slowly, so that Sasuke wouldn't freak out by licking the other's lips with his tongue. Sasuke, out of reflex or something like that, opened his mouth and allowed Naruto to attack it – he moaned into the kiss when Naruto used his experience to the utmost advantage.

Kissing Sasuke, being with him was even better than the dream, even though this Sasuke was hesitant and kissed clumsily. Then again, he was warm, his body fitted against his perfectly and, to be honest, Naruto wouldn't have exchanged anything in the world for this.

* * *

Naruto was so lost in the sensation of kissing, feeling Sasuke that he didn't hear the lock being turned. Nor did he hear the footsteps walking into the living-room. However, he did hear the yelp of surprise and the familiar voice of Sakura exclaiming:

"Well, it seems like I'm intruding on something."

Beyond mortified, Naruto ceased kissing Sasuke and, immediately jumping away from the positon, left a flustered, half confused Sasuke sprawled on it. This was beyond embarrassing: he hadn't ever wanted Sakura to meet Sasuke in such a dumb way.

"Eh...Sakura-chan? This isn't what it ..."

Sakura's eyebrows rose at that and Naruto immediately shut up. There was no point in lying to Sakura: she knew what was going on, judging by the very knowing and self-satisfied look on her face. Oh no, she didn't show it openly, but years of having dealt with her, made Naruto see things, Sasuke would have failed to comprehend in years.

"Erm...why don't I introduce to Sasuke? He's my partner."

Sasuke, still too shocked to say a word, looked away, feigning disinterest and arrogance, but Naruto knew he was humiliated.

_I wish I was dead. This is too embarrassing. _

"Whatever. Naruto, I'll be off to the kitchen. I need to drink some water."

"It's fine you can go after your girlfriend."

"Who?"

"That girl," Sasuke replied with so much venom that Naruto blinked a little, actually. What the fuck had gotten into him?

"Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke looked away, but his shoulders were tense and he clenched his hands.

Suddenly, it dawned upon Naruto that Sasuke was jealous – totally jealous, in fact.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe-"

Then, someone whooped him on the head. Of course, it was Sakura.

"I'm not his girlfriend. Naruto's just being his usual dumb self now...and I keep telling you, idiot, I've got something to discuss with you in the kitchen!"

"Sakura-chan, you're too mean!"

"Don't worry, Sasuke-san. I'll bring him back soon enough. Just wait here."

Before Naruto could even say anything in return, Sakura grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and dragged him into the kitchen, making him feel like the world's biggest loser. He even thought he saw a glint of amusement in Sasuke's eyes.

* * *

"You didn't tell me that he was that hot!"

"Who?"

"Sasuke... the partner you couldn't stop describing as being a bastard and fucker. He's gorgeous."

_Of course. Sakura-chan has always been the first to oogle over good-looking guys. Sheesh. Some things never change._

"Well, men usually don't go checking each other out."

"Just like they usually don't kiss their partners."

Naruto had to suppress himself from slamming his head against the wall or screaming. Why the hell was she that witty?

"That was...yeah. What did you actually come for? I thought you were busy with Lee."

"I am. Still, Naruto you jerk, can't a friend drop by and say hi?"

_Not when I'm in the process of making out with Sasuke._

"Sure..."

"You're lucky I wasn't Kiba. I'll be going now. Just let me fetch my books from the living room."

"If you find it in the mess. And you don't have to leave...Sakura-chan. It's good that you came."

"You sure? I could leave. And you can continue-"

"Stay."

* * *

"Oh yeah, and when Naruto was in middle school, he wrote me those disg-"

Of course, Naruto now regretted his decision -- Sakura should have left. Because this was beyond embarrassing.

"Shut up, Sakura. Just shut up!"

"Why? It was cute. I bet Sasuke-kun wants to know all about it."

"No, he doesn't. Change the topic."

"Oh, then how about you tried joining the school band. Though Kakashi warned against, knowing you can't dance at all, but -"

Naruto slapped his hand against her mouth and stopped her from uttering another syllable. There was no way Sasuke need to know that, either.

"Who's Kakashi?"

Sakura slapped Naruto's hand away forcefully and, to make betters worse, and glared angrily at him.

"He's the pervert and weirdo Naruto lived with. His guardian, if you must. Blame all of Naruto's antics on him."

Naruto sighed audibly and refused to take this prattle seriously: Sakura was being a hypocrite again since he knew that she held Kakashi in high esteem. And if he had picked up being a pervert from Kakashi, then Sakura had, too.

"Shut up, Sakura-chan. You know that Kakashi is awesome. If anyone is a pervert, then -"

"Oh yeah, I forget Jiraiya. But Kakashi is shameless and he's the one who corrupted you-"

"He didn't corrupt me!"

"Yeah, like you didn't only read Icha Icha Cum Paradise in high school! Why I think that's the only thing you've read in your life!"

"Shut, I don't only read porn!"

"You do!"

Naruto wanted to yell at hear that he didn't, but the ringing of a cellphone came to his rescue – it was Sakura's. As soon as she realised who it was who had called her, she ran off to the kitchen and Naruto could hear the sound of her loud voice cheerfully jabbering away to whom he presumed to be Lee. He roleed his eyes at the thought, but was grateful that she had been called away.

Sasuke doesn't need to know...about those more embarrassing aspects of my life. He already thinks I'm a loser, anyway.

He felt a bit nervous being alone with Sasuke now, recalling what they had been doing just about an hour ago. All the time while Sakura had been chattering, Sasuke had remained impassive and quiet, only allowing an occasional one-liner to pass by his lips. Reclined on that couch, with his legs crossed, and his face perched against his elbow, he looked thoughtful and pondering over something meaningful.

"Don't mind, Sakura-chan. She says a lot of weird things."

"You seem to know her quite well."

"I do. She knows me better than myself, I think at times. And, no, for the record, she isn't --"

"I got that already," he responded snappishly.

"Then, don't make such faces. You don't have to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous, idiot."

"I don't believe you. "

"I'm not, Naruto."

"You're no fun at all, Sasuke. I was joking, okay?"

Sasuke was about to say something, but Sakura returned to living room and, cheeks flushing, seemed extremely excited about something. She looked so happy and jubilant that Naruto forgot his frustration from a few minutes ago and grinned -- seeing Sakura content just had that effect on him.

"Naruto, I'm off now. I'll call you later!"

"It was nice meeting you, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

"Are you going to leave, too?"

"No, I'll stay. I'll take the couch."

Naruto shook his head; he wasn't going to have Sasuke sleep on obscene piece of furniture.

"Sleep on the bed. I'll take the damned old thing – with the springs on it. I'm not a princess like you."

Naruto wanted to run to his room to a blanket from the closet when he noticed Sasuke's look. He seemed hesitant and nearly pouted.

"What? Isn't if fine enough for you?"

Sasuke mouth twitched and he looked like he was about to either break a few bones for that comment or tell Naruto his piece of mind. Then, however, he relaxed and, looking away, said:

"You don't have to sleep on the ...couch. We can just share the bed."

Naruto spun on his heel and faced him again, believing he had misheard. However, Sasuke's face looked quite serious and he wasn't the sort to crack random jokes. A part of Naruto – the more depraved and perverted part of him – literally cheered at the idea of sharing a bed with Sasuke, which could only lead to more opportunities to kiss and touch him, but another part of Naruto had severe doubts.

"Are you sure? I mea -"

Sasuke merely nodded and, more surprisingly, walking towards Naruto, planted a soft kiss on his lips. The contact was brief and short, but Naruto already felt like he was flying. Or something silly like that.

"Try something while I'm sleeping and I'll break your bones."

Then, without further ado, walked past Naruto into his sleeping room – he certainly had guts to do that.

_He's behaving like the apartment belongs to him. Bastard. _

* * *

Naruto couldn't sleep properly at first; the sounds of Sasuke's soft breathing and the cold feet brushing against his own made him feel more than awkward. As expected, Sasuke was an extremely selfish sleeper, meaning that he sought warmth and comfort – which, to be more precise, put him into very close proximity with Naruto.

_I wonder, is he doing this to torture me?_

Yet, when he observed Sasuke's sleeping face and the way he seemed to relax, Naruto was more than certain that the other man had no malicious intentions. He was breathtaking beautiful and, for the first time, Naruto had to admit to himself that he was incredibly attracted to him. The kissing hadn't come out of nowhere, but had been the result of a pent up, ever-growing attraction for Sasuke – he had to admit that he was totally smitten with the Uchiha's unorthodox charms. And it wasn't simply lust, though Naruto didn't wish to follow the chains of that thought any further – that would have been too messy. As it was, things with Sasuke were messy enough.

_I just wish you really were a bastard...would be much easier to hate you._

It was stupid and silly, but Naruto couldn't help himself. Leaning over, he let his nose brush against Sasuke's soft bangs and, discreetly, kissed Sasuke on the forehead. Luckily, Sasuke didn't stir in his sleep and Naruto was free to shift back into his former position. He was really losing his mind.

The next morning, to Naruto's surprise was more seamless and less chaotic than it had been in years. Sasuke, apparently having some sort of inner alarm clock in him, woke him up at the right time and, they set off to the office and they were in the process of having breakfast.

"Do you only have ramen?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I can cook, but -"

"That stuff is bad for you."

"If you had a more feminine voice and pink hair, I'd have thought you're Sakura. She says it all time."

"Because it's true."

"Shut up! Ramen's never done me no harm."

Sasuke merely stared, but that look was piercing and annoying that Naruto found himself giving in.

"Fine, I'll go out and buy something for you. Since you're so adamant on that. "

* * *

There were few things that would have hardly surprised Naruto that morning – not dogs spontaneously exploding in front of him or pigs flying. Sasuke was tolerably kind to him that day and Naruto had to say he liked it. Though it was strange. In the midst of his thoughts, he did not notice Itachi until he nearly bumped into him again.

_Why is this always happening to – him again_

"Naruto-kun, what a surprise to meet you here."

"Yes, Iam. You're Itachi Uchiha, right? Sasuke's brother?" Naruto asked a little hesitantly, wondering whether or not, he wasn't daydreaming. He was little disturbed that the man was here, appearing out of nowhere – it seemed.

"Yes. I am Sasuke's elder brother."

"He still didn't mention you. But then again, he never mentions things – unless he feels like it. But you must be used to that."

"My brother was always foolish."

"So, he was always like this..cold and distant?" Naruto asked, honestly curious. Because of someone had to know, then it was Itachi.

"No, Sasuke was quite different as a child."

"Are you serious? He wasn't born a bastard?"

_I can't believe that he could have been different, even before his – but then, I don't know a thing. _

"Yes, he was somewhat shy, but smiled a lot. He talked a lot too, when he was excited, always trying to attract mine or Father's attention. It wasn't until our parents' death that he changed. It broke him."

Naruto's eyes widened at the apathetic way Itachi had uttered these words – as if he had been talking about some unknown guy getting hit by a truck and not his brother. He didn't know how to respond, but regardless of what he said, Itachi continued out of his own volition. As if he had been planning to do this all along.

"He found them dead in the living room, right after school. Father, with his skull broken, lay on top of my mother, also with coated in blood. He found them and then ran away screaming, tears streaming down his face; he wasn't so cold and distant then."

The mental picture of the events was brutal enough, but the tone of Itachi's voice – so emotionless and without the barest hint of grief – chilled Naruto all of sudden; he inspected his features more thoroughly and it sickened him that there wasn't a single trace of anything remotely compassionate in it.

_He's not like Sasuke at all. He's...I don't know. I feel scared; there's something wrong about this guy. Seriously off._

* * *

"What took you so long, moron?" Sasuke hissed angrily, obviously angry that Naruto's tardiness would be a threat to his being late, too.

"Oh, I just ran into to someone."

Sasuke didn't answer to that, probably deeming the information as irrelevance. Naruto, however, still disturbed over the impression Itachi had made over him, felt the need to share.

"You should have told me you had a brother. Itachi is a bit creepy, but - "

There was a sudden crash of plates on the floor and, in a matter of minutes, Naruto found himself slammed against the wall. Sasuke was frantic, enraged and his eyes nearly flickered red, as if he had gone berserk. The grip holding him in place was powerful and Naruto, for an instant, was scared. Really scared.

"What the fuck has gotten into you Sasuke? Let me go!"

"Itachi...how the hell do you know my brother? Answer!" Sasuke yelled out, his voice dangerously low, but bristling with something that was mixture of anger and disbelief.

"What's the big deal? I met him on the street. Twice. He knew me, but I bet you told-"

"I didn't tell him a thing."

Sasuke released Naruto, who fell against the wall and clutched his neck, feeling a little disoriented and very confused. What the hell was going on here?

"He did tell me you were on bad terms."

"Bad terms...what an understatement."

Sasuke was trembling, from head to foot and that was when Naruto's brain made _click._ It shouldn't have been possible, shouldn't have made any coherent sense and was way too cruel. But Itachi's words, the inhumane way he had described Sasuke's reaction to his parents' death made sense, made him understand with perfect clarity.

"Itachi...he was the one who killed your parents. Wasn't he?" Naruto found himself asking, though he could have just as well asked whether he was had a penis or not.

Sasuke looked fiercely at him, his entire frame shuddering with volatile emotion -- grief, horror and everything else that he had suppressed for ages. It hurt to see him like this and, for the first time in his life, Naruto felt powerless, insecure of what he was supposed do to.  
"Sasuke, I didn't -"

"Don't speak. Leave me the fuck alone!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know...calm down."

Naruto didn't have the chance to finish because Sasuke punched him straight in the face, so strong that, had he been any stronger, Naruto would have been sent flying against the table. But he didn't, though he could taste the slight copper taste of blood oozing from his gums. Sasuke, for all his deceiving delicate looks, could punch well – and, damn, it hurt.

"Leave me alone. Get out."

"That's fine a thing to say, considering this is my apartment."

"Shut up. I'll told you to fucking leave me alone!"

He didn't know what he could do – seeing Sasuke like this terrified the shit out of him. Because, in his vision of things, he preferred the bastard Sasuke who had gloated on the train to this. This wasn't how he wanted Sasuke to be – confused, hurting and so damned fragile.

"Don't touch me!"

The next movement was spontaneous, but Naruto felt that anything else would have been in vain. Grabbing Sasuke's hand, he pulled him into a bone-crushing embrace and, while Sasuke resisted at first, punching Naruto furiously and trying to push him away, he grew still after a while.

Sasuke had always been taciturn, but was now quiet – eerily so. Never had Naruto thought it possible that such a scene would take place in his kitchen – Sasuke motionless in his arms, apart from the heavy breathing and him rendered speechless. This was really getting messy.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Writing-wise I consider this to be weakest chapter I have offered ever since starting this piece; however, I can't do any better. I am tired, nervous and constantly pestered with assignments that inflame my wrath. In other words, university has drained any creativity I had left. This chapter seems very forced and lacklustre to me, but after a month of letting you wait, I decided to get over with it. Unbet'd, as I didn't want to give anyone a headache with this. On another note, blame Samurai Champloo for my belated update; that anime took over my brain and I am squeeing over its brillance (Mugen ... is too awesome for words). All criticism accepted (Please don't hate me too much for this awful update -- I know it's awful).

* * *

On that morning, the sunlight fell sharply into the room, letting the objects – the fridge, the table still littered with cups and dishes and the broken debris of pantry scattered on the floor– bask somewhat awkwardly in the daylight; the light itself was blinding to the eye, mercilessly stern and revealed how dusty everything in the apartment complex was. Cobwebs could be seen dangling from the wall, the scratches marring the table were exposed with humiliating precision and everything looked comparatively shoddy, then again Naruto didn't belong to the richest of people. He wasn't one of the cleanest people out there, either.

Nothing was hidden from the sight of the sun, not even Naruto and Sasuke themselves, but neither of them paid attention to the spectacle the light played upon the apartment. Naruto, in particular, only had one thing in mind and that was to keep Sasuke from going nuts. He would have done anything to protect Sasuke from himself. Ever since he had dropped the bomb of having met Itachi, the other seemed to be going borderline insane; Sasuke's quietness didn't fool Naruto. He knew who Sasuke was – a tumult of repressed emotions lurking behind an icy exterior. Still, for the time being, Naruto's intentions were working.

Sasuke's breathing was less hitched now; his trembling had subsided and he felt warm against Naruto's chest. His weight was a welcome one; it felt like home – just real, tangible and safe. Indeed, this was such a cheesy and way too sentimental association, taken from one of those burlesque romances that you would never willingly admit to reading out loud, but still passed the time with. Naruto hadn't even read novels of that kind, but Jiraiya, though he was critically acclaimed for writing dirty porn, also had a sappy side to him. In fact, he had this tendency to write lots of sap while one of his fictional couples lay together entangled in post-coital bliss. To be honest, Naruto somehow felt like this now, even though this was as far as possible from being sex-related.

_Great, I'm losing my mind. I've lost it – officially. _

But it felt familiar, all too good and no mincing of words could have made that feeling of security disappear.

Naruto, for that short, fleeting instant, lost himself in the lazy murmur of the bulb flickering above him, the tick of the clock and the intermingling sounds of the morning traffic roaring outside. They were no longer there: the hooting of cars, the outraged cries of pedestrians bumping against one another and the noise of everyday life had been rendered to nothing but a pleasant wave of sound – a unified entity of nothingness.

He honestly liked being with Sasuke, even though there wasn't nothing to relish in at that given moment, but Naruto had finally found out what made Sasuke tick the way he did. The realisation made him both happy and wistful; the former because he now knew that Sasuke was human, capable of feeling. The latter though sent a pang through his chest.

_He's not here with me; he's thinking of Itachi ... that bastard._

The dream of familiarity didn't last long. Sooner than Naruto could have wished, he felt Sasuke – slowly at first, but with more and more force – trying to shove him off. He didn't let go though, not because he couldn't sense Sasuke's protests but because the selfish part of Naruto wanted to hold on forever. So, he pretended to be deaf and dumb – playing pretend was better than nothing.

Hey, a man can be selfish at times, he thought briefly.

_Who knows if I'll ever get to hold him like this again. _

He knew it was dumb and cliché. Yet, he couldn't deny that he wanted to be with Sasuke, no matter how much the other tried to fight him off.

"Let go," Sasuke finally said, his voice dangerously low and sounding chilly.

"What?"

"Forget it," Sasuke answered, wringing himself free of Naruto's grasp and moving as far away as possible. His back collided with the hard surface of the wall and Sasuke grimaced, obviously not liking how the harshness of the cold surface had scratched his skin. Naruto, had he not been too stupefied, would have called him a ninny, but he was too surprised: he couldn't believe that Sasuke hadn't struck him with his fist. It wouldn't have been difficult for Sasuke to do so; he was strong and could have sent Naruto colliding against the fridge, if he had wanted to.

"You don't have to hold on to me as if I were a fucking girl," Sasuke remarked haughtily, an indignant tone evident in his voice and Naruto grinned. This guy, even if he didn't intend to be funny, was incredibly amusing. Naruto really didn't understand the Uchiha's wounded pride and wondered how he had come to think of hugging as being inappropriate for men.

No, Sasuke wasn't a girl, far from being anything feminine, even though his looks might have fooled some. But the grin faded from his face when he noticed how Sasuke was looking at him – sternly and calculatingly. However, it wasn't that look which had startled Naruto; it had been something completely different.

Somehow, Naruto wondered how it could be that Sasuke didn't look out of place in the messy kitchen, the dazzling brightness of the furniture and stranger than anything else, he suddenly felt that something abnormal was going on here. _This _was like a dream – a dream that was shattered when Sasuke spoke once more.

"I should leave."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"I have things to do-"

"Don't leave yet, Sasuke," Naruto implored, "Just don't."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, looking earnestly curious.

He was calm – too calm for Naruto's tastes. No, he wasn't trembling with volatile shudders of despair surging inside him, but he was too quiet, too closed off. He was too much like the jerk Naruto had met back on the train and he hated it.

_We're not falling back to that again. Ever._

"Sasuke, we should talk," Naruto attempted carefully; he couldn't immediately come forth with the main objective. He didn't want to send Sasuke into another fit of rage; not only because he feared for Sasuke's sanity, but because – in all honesty – Sasuke was pretty scary when he was angry.

"About what?"

Apparently, he had no other choice. Naruto, feeling the rising urge to slap himself on the forehead, remembered that Sasuke was a man of few words. And as a man of few words, he hated it when people skipped around the bush.

"Itachi."

There was another slam and Sasuke spun madly around, his eyes blazing and Sasuke's entire body was tense. Yet, he wasn't trembling nor was it horror paralysing him – it was sheer anger. Unrelenting, hideous and ferocious in quality. Naruto backed away again, nearly afraid of Sasuke's all too sudden shift in emotions; it was way too confusing and ugly. Had he still believed Sasuke to be impassive and unreadable, his opinion would have been dramatically altered now.

"Don't fucking mention his name. I shouldn't have have ever told you about – forget it."

"I can't forget. And you did tell me, moron. Now, you should finally say what's going on here."

Naruto knew what was going on. He was a cop and, in the long run, he had managed to put two and two together, but that wasn't the point. He wanted to hear it from Sasuke's own lips – the whole thing. He trusted Sasuke and he expected the same thing from the other man. If anything, he wanted Sasuke to be open.

"You already know," Sasuke spat out, his angry tone not breaking in the slightest," My _brother_ told you."

"He only told me his side of the story," Naruto said. "How could he know who I was?"

"He's been stalking me, most likely. He likes doing that, he likes screwing around with the mind of others. He's -"

"A crazy bastard," Naruto commented dryly, thinking that this description was probably the most fitting.

"No. He's not. He's a genius."

Sasuke uttered the word "genius" as if it were venom, a bitter substance that galled his throat and made him sick to the core. Naruto had no idea what was going on; he didn't know anything about Itachi. At the same time, he knew Sasuke wouldn't tell him until he saw it fit to do so. And that was -- quite frankly speaking -- annoying.

Sasuke spoke again:

"I came to Tokyo because of him. I knew he was here. "

"And what are you going to do? Kill him?"

"Yes. And I don't want you to interfere."

"I can't promise that."

Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily, but he sighed then and just shrugged his shoulders. Naruto felt that Sasuke had mostly liked accepted that he wasn't going to be pushed away, that he knew he couldn't run away as much as he tried.

Naruto wanted to say more, but Sasuke's voice attracted his attention.

"Then I'll just have to sever our bonds. I won't be -"

_Bonds? He acknowledges that there's something going on between us?_

Naruto used this moment to silence Sasuke with a kiss – it was an angry kiss, full of unspoken frustration and annoyance. Sasuke was such a difficult person, an awkward bundle of conflicting contradictions and obsessive convictions. Sometimes Naruto wanted to strangle him to death, or just pretend that he didn't care; life would have been so much easier.

No, Naruto couldn't have found himself anyone more complicated, but at the same time, while he felt Sasuke grow still and stiff under that kiss, he knew that this was perfection.

To his amazement, Sasuke didn't push him away, but returned it, obviously enjoying it as much he did. It was still sloppy: Sasuke was more attack, make Naruto go weak in the knees and slam his mouth against the other until he forgot how to breathe, instead of being all about seductive expertise.

Yet, he was also better at this now, less restrained and he used his position to slam Naruto against the wall, slipping his tongue as effortlessly into Naruto's mouth, as if they had been doing this on and off for years. Just when Naruto thought he was about to implode from the craziness of this moment, Sasuke stopped and fixed Naruto with an amused look.

"You're a fucking idiot, Naruto. I won't let you get involved this. Just forget about it."

Naruto had to bite his lips, in order to restrain a laugh. Sasuke was trying so hard to be cool and apathetic, but he was so evidently nervous and obviously trying to fight off the anxiety to show in his face. Of course, the façade didn't fool Naruto, though.

"I won't do that, either. We're partners, Sasuke. I'll help you."

_And, fucking hell, I like you. So much it scares me. _

* * *

Naruto wasn't sure whether he liked this new development in his and Sasuke's relationship. They had transcended the point of fighting with each other on a daily basis, but Sasuke kept himself at a distance. No, he wasn't giving monosyllabic answers or avoiding Naruto completely; however, there was something amiss. Naruto nearly found himself missing the reproaches about his messiness from before; anything was better than this. Surely, the peace was a sign of progress, the non-fighting showed that they had come to an understanding and accepted each other's faults. Yet, at the same time, it was awkward and in some ways, Naruto didn't like things to be _this_ awkward.

He let his gaze wander from the messy scribbles of his own handwriting to Sasuke looking over some paperwork. A few months ago, prior to really knowing Sasuke, he would called him a fucker, gone ballistic at the mere fact that someone managed to ignore him -- Naruto Uzumaki. He would have lashed out at Sasuke and tried to attack his Achilles heel, so triggering a volatile reaction from the supposed wretch. Now, Naruto had no desire to do anything of the sort: he knew that whatever Sasuke was going through at the moment was more than horrendous enough.

Chewing his pencil lost-mindedly, he observed how Sasuke was skimming over his notes; he was beautiful like this. Naruto admired the fine dark eyelashes, the delicateness of his face and the way he managed to make everything seem so graceful. A few weeks ago, he wouldn't have been caught dead doing this.

_Funny, how things change. _

Naruto sighed and returned to his paperwork, not wanting to show Sasuke that he was preoccupied with thoughts of him. Sasuke wanted to be alone and if he intervened, Naruto feared that Sasuke wouldn't allow to get close to him again. Wasn't there this saying that calm comes before the storm?

_He needs it -- the calm._

* * *

The next few days weren't better, each of them had been as dull and dragging as the previous. The paperwork drove him crazy, but what angered Naruto more than ever was that Sasuke still kept him at bay; it was as if they were really merely partners at work and nothing else.

Naruto didn't realise that he was pacing around the room again until Sakura spoke, making him halt abruptly and flush out of embarrassment.

"You should just tell me what's wrong."

"Oh man, leave me alone with it. "

"It's about Sasuke?"

"I'm not even going to ask you how you knew," Naruto said with a resigned air and let himself plop down next to Sakura; she didn't shift and neither made any stammers of protest when he used her knees as cushion. After all these years of friendship, Naruto had come to regard Sakura as someone he could trust with anything – and he knew that Sakura trusted him equally. At least, she knew that he wasn't going to molest her.

"Naruto, ever since you've come from that Kyoto trip, it's been all about him. "

"You think I'm obsessed?"

"A little. But also something else," she answered, giggling a little. For a second, Naruto was dumbfounded. He hadn't heard Sakura giggle since her middle school days – he really had no idea what there was to giggle about. Then, it dawned upon him: Sakura was making fun of him! It was nearly reminiscent of that one time he had devoted a love poem to her and Sakura, being slightly mean back then, had read it out loud. _That_ had been one of the most singularly embarrassing moments in Naruto's life.

"Shut up. That's not funny."

"I'm not saying it is. I don't blame you though. He's hot."

_Leave it to Sakura to be practical. _

"If you go for the stoic, silent type. He isn't all that sexy to me."

_Liar; you do think he's hot. _

"Well, don't go all sarcastic on me. You certainly didn't seem to be against his looks when you were making out right there, in the living room," Sakura snapped.

Although Naruto couldn't see Sakura's face, he knew she was blushing and dying to hear more about that incident – he hated how curious Sakura was about this. He didn't understand what there was so awesome about two guys making out: it wasn't any different from doing it with a girl, really.

"Didn't I tell you not to speak of it again?"

"The point, Naruto, is that you can't deny that you're in love."

Naruto shot up from his position. As much as he had – somewhat reluctantly – admitted that he liked, felt attracted to Sasuke in so many ways, love wasn't something he had associated with the bastard yet. Loving someone was different from lusting after a guy's body: love was something Naruto wasn't exactly experienced with. He hadn't ever expected to taste the bitter gall of love, either – it was for sappy idiots and wimps.

"I never said I'm – you sound like Kiba."

"Well, then he's more observant than I thought."

_More like tactless. Kiba. Observant, my ass. _

He didn't like how Kiba and Sakura were interfering with his life; they probably laughed behind his back, just because he wasn't as socially adept as they were.

"So even if I'm what you say I am, Sasuke's complicated. He's ... damn you have no idea. He's ..."

_I'm not going to tell her about Itachi, and all that. She's got enough of her own crap to deal with. 'Sides, it's not like she could help. _

"I'm disappointed. I thought you liked challenges and never backed down from one."

Naruto laughed; he knew what she was referring to and a series of memories flashed through his brain. Everything from playing pranks on his teacher to asking one of the most popular girls in school out appeared before his mind: he couldn't believe that it had been so long ago.

"It's not a challenge, Sakura-chan. Sasuke isn't a challenge – he's ..."

Sakura didn't ask any further, but motioned Naruto to lie down on her lap again; he obeyed wordlessly and sighed when Sakura's hands caressed his hair, the gesture was soothing and reassuring.

"You'll see. Everything will be fine. "

"I'm not sure. But I might find a way."

Naruto didn't doubt that he would find a way; however, he had no idea what to do. He couldn't turn back time and undo Sasuke's pain.

"You're a cop. Of course, you will."

_Thank you, Sakura-chan. _

* * *

Kakashi, still pouring over what seemed to be the newest edition of Jirayia's sinfully good porn, offhandedly muttered:

"You sure are a nice boy, not to have visited me before."

"I had things going on."

"Liar," Kakashi responded knowingly, his conveying a sarcastic tone that would have made him a perfect lawyer. He really knew how to make others feel uncomfortable.

Naruto felt another tick approaching: this man, whatever he did, always unnerved him to the utmost extent. It wasn't as if he had really avoided him; they had talked over the phone and met each other nearly daily at the headquarters. Really, Naruto hadn't been ignoring him and besides, Kakashi could have visited him too. He was just too lazy to do it. Or he didn't want to and Naruto knew the reason why. It hurt to admit, but Naruto had to break the ice.

"Oh come on, Kakashi. I just – I know I let you down."

Naruto didn't have to explain what he meant by that: both of the men knew what he was referring to. Naruto looked about the shady, poorly furnished apartment and abruptly was reminded of something -- Kakashi and Sasuke were alike, eerily so. This was another person, who kept himself wrapped up under the icy façade of nonchalance, but was bleeding inside. Yet, Kakashi was one thing Sasuke wasn't – he could see through Naruto, past the cheery mask and unhand him in a way no one else could.

Perhaps, that was another reason why the man unnerved him the way he did.

"About that: I hope you've learnt your lesson now," Kakashi answered, his voice betraying no emotion, but the chill in his voice – the emotionless – was enough to make Naruto feel sick. Had Kakashi roared at him, it wouldn't have been less effective.

"I don't know. He did kill- It's not important: the fucker's dead. But it would have been- "

"Revenge isn't a solution," Kakashi replied firmly. His eyes met Naruto's again.

"Don't forget that your parents – your father – were important to other people as well, not only you."

Naruto found himself wanting to change the subject – this was getting too personal. He didn't want to be reminded of pain again. So, he answered instead:

"About my not coming to visit you: I've had -"

_I shouldn't tell him about Sasuke. _

"Your new partner? You've had things to do with him, right?" Kakashi asked, smiling slightly.

"How did you know?"

"Sakura told me. Unlike you, she's not as neglecting. Tsunade keeps me informed as well."

"Oh come on, I'm not a kid any longer. It's not like I need to explain myself."

Kakashi threw him a "_you're kidding me look_" and bookmarking the page he had been reading, shut his book with a loud _snap_. His eyes were on Naruto's now, sending shivers of fright down Naruto's spine. He didn't like to admit it; however, Kakashi was a scary person – he wasn't someone you wanted to have as an enemy.

"No, but she's worried. She's afraid that you're running danger of getting yourself too involved again."

"With what?"

"Don't play dumb, Naruto. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Kakashi, I can't ... help myself from getting "

"You're exactly like your father. He was like that. Just be careful."

Kakashi looked momentarily nostalgic, as if remembering something that made him both inexpressively happy and sad; moments like these made Naruto wish that he could – just once – see what the man looked like right now without his mask. Yes, it was odd, but he hadn't seen Kakashi without his mask on very often: it irked him. Underneath his mask, Kakashi was a hauntingly beautiful man, with features that would have taken anyone's breath away and Naruto wondered why he hid his face. But that wasn't one of the things he would ever learn to understand.

Kakashi was private and rarely – if ever – talked about himself. Still, Naruto was certain of one thing: that, as much as Kakashi avoided talking about it or shrugged it off, his father – Minato – had meant the world to him. He only wished Kakashi would have told him more. But that was one of the man's oddities: he wouldn't ever talk about his own pain.

* * *

It was growing dark, but the sounds of outdoor traffic hadn't subsided yet. Actually, it was so far from being quiet that Naruto had difficulty to concentrate on the screen in front of him, being too assailed by a hundred and one conflicting reflections. His back ached, his fingers – similarly to an old rheumatic man's – hurt from typing and he could see swirling dots in front of his eyes. He was tired as well; the lack of sleep lately did take a toil on him. Still, he had to do this, if ever wanted to accomplish anything.

At first, he had attempted to look through old files, but that would have aroused unnecessary attention – Naruto wasn't exactly known for being into research. Additionally, he was a pretty shitty liar too and didn't think he could have cooked up a good excuse for prying his nose into old, dusty files.

_But I have to do this. My computer's crashed. And Sakura is busy studying. Kakashi would never allow me to use his. Just my luck. _

So, under the pretence of doing more paperwork, he had resolved to stay longer in the office, which hadn't attracted anyone's suspicions. Well, Shikamaru had been a bit baffled to say the least, but being the laid-back fellow he was, hadn't bothered to inquire – that would have been too troublesome for him.

Naruto was pretty sure it was a dumb undertaking, but he didn't have anything to lose. Although he didn't want to bury too deep into the past, this where he had to start. If Sasuke wasn't willing to tell him, he would find out on his own: he was a cop, after all. Finding information these days was easier than procuring cigarettes or getting drunk. And he was going to be damned, if he didn't use modern technology to aid him in his quest.

Sasuke had been right about his brother, Itachi Uchiha: he was a genius and way more than that.

His school records not only revealed him to be a genius, but a truly gifted kid. There were even newspaper articles about him, all praising the kid's intellect and how he would make the family name Uchiha stand out even more. Yes, Sasuke had neglected telling him that he came from a renowned, a former Samurai family that had gained quite bit of reputation.

_Graduated at age 10. Enrolled into university to study. Killed his own parents at 13 and then managed to disappear – just like that. That's definitely not the work of a normal criminal. _

It struck Naruto as odd that Itachi had somehow disappeared; there were no traces of him and the case had been apparently forgotten after a year. He believed that, in some way, the Uchiha family must have interfered, allowing it happen that the case had been left to rot: they must have thought that it was no good dwelling on a black sheep of the family.

_Sasuke hasn't forgotten though. _

At the thought of Sasuke, Naruto felt guilt forming in his insides; he couldn't help thinking that it was unfair to betray his trust like that.

So far, he wasn't doing anything outrageous though. Then, he thought of something else. Just as he had confirmed it, Sasuke had transferred to Tokyo for a single reason -- there couldn't have been any other. Having worked so long with Sasuke, Naruto knew that the man was a fantastic cop: he worked meticulously and had a quick brain which absorbed information like a sponge. However, Naruto couldn't understand one thing.

_How could Itachi know me? He even knew where I lived and Sasuke only visited me once. No, it's ..._

Naruto thought of Itachi again: the man was creepy enough, but what was even more suspicious, he had seemed quite familiar with him. A horrible thought nagged at Naruto's brain – and it grew more monstrous with every passing minute. However, the pieces fell together and it made _click: _Itachi had known him before, hadn't approached just like that, but because he also had some business with him. He hadn't just stalked Sasuke.

* * *

It was still deep night when Naruto knocked angrily against Sasuke's apartment door; he was resolved to talk with the stubborn Uchiha and give him a peace of his mind. It wasn't only that: he had this driving need to see Sasuke, to talk to him -- outside of that damned stuffy office.

Apparently, Sasuke had been asleep and looking peevish, opened the door with more than just a killer intent showing in his eyes; he looked outright deadly and had Naruto not been a cop, he would have backed away. Sasuke wasn't one to be trifled with: even his looks could make someone shit in their pants.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, not hiding the displeasure in his tone. His eyebrows were knitted together and he held the door in a very forced, nearly restrained sort of manner, as if he had to calm himself down.

"To talk, you ass."

"Past midnight?" Sasuke demanded incredulously, throwing a quick backward glance at the clock ticking meticulously away in his living room.

"Hell yes. Let me in."

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes, but let Naruto in without any further protest. His apartment, to Naruto's surprise looked more alive this time, for lack of better word. There were books piling on the floor and Naruto's common sense told him that Sasuke had been doing some kind of research himself – or he had finally given up on being an obsessively compulsive perfectionist. Whatever it was, he liked the change – the apartment looked more human, less like a tomb.

Naruto whistled and feeling that this was going to be a long talk, plopped down on the sofa without further ado – it wasn't as if Sasuke could protest.

"You didn't tell me that you came from such an old and rich family," he started confidently. He had to break the ice somehow. Sasuke merely widened his eyes; it didn't seem like he understood the significance of the statement.

"You never asked."

"That's not the point!" Naruto exclaimed angrily and shook his fist at the other male --Sasuke was so insufferably stubborn; however, he wouldn't give up yet.

"You should have told me about Itachi before, though."

" I told you it's none of your business-"

"Shut up. Just shut up. It's as much as my business as its yours."

_Just listen to me once, bastard. _

"I don't fucking get what you're saying now."

"The point is that you don't have to be alone, Sasuke. Are you deaf? I've told you this a hund-"

"I've been alone since my parents died."

"No, that's just what you're telling yourself."

"What do you-"

"I know the pain, I fucking know what it means to lose someone you love. As much as you do. Don't think that I loved my parents any less than you did."

Naruto challenged Sasuke to say something in return and he swore that if the bastard only dared to counterfeit that statement, he would pay dearly. Naruto was fed up with Sasuke's selfishness and there were things that just went beyond tact. He wasn't the only one in this world.

"Well, at least the murderer of yours isn't running around berserk! "

_You have no idea. _

"He is. Orochimaru only gave orders. He was the sort that never bloodied his own hands, but had scum doing the dirty work for him."

Sasuke moved away from his position, close to the bookshelf and suddenly he was facing Naruto, his dark eyes boring into Naruto's.

"What are you trying to tell me, Naruto?"

"I'm trying to tell you, shit for brains, that this is as much your concern as it is mine."

Sasuke fell to laughing hysterically, letting himself lean against the wall and then slump down to the floor wearily. When he looked up at Naruto, he looked dejected and broken, nearly insane.

"And what – do you think it's that easy? That if you work with me, we'd actually have a chance to kill him?"

Naruto didn't say anything and he half-maddeningly continued:

"I've been following Itachi for years, or to more precise, I only know what he tells me. Or writes. He's been leaving me notes behind ... he always seem to know where I am."

"Didn't it ever occur to you that there might be a connection between me, Orochimaru and Itachi?"

"You're fantasising, pulling some sort of crap out of your ass. This isn't a guessing game."

Sasuke had a point: he didn't have direct, foolproof evidence. However, his instincts rarely failed him and he knew that he wasn't grasping wildly in the darkness – anything else wouldn't have made sense.

"Think, Itachi didn't show up until after we met, you transferred on pretty much the same day I got back from my vacation, then Oro's found dead in his apartment...it's..."

"Coincidence, destiny...whatever."

"No, this was planned. "

"Why would Itachi involve you in this? You haven't anything to do with . Fuck this, it doesn't make sense."

Sasuke was an idiot, if he didn't get what he was trying to convey now.

"Crime is rarely logical. If it were, we wouldn't have to protect people from murderers."

"Don't preach on me."

"I'm not preaching. Stupid being such a stubborn asshole."

"Naruto, I told you to bloody prying your nose. You don't know who Itachi is. You don't – fuck."

"Do you really think I'm so stupid that I'd let my partner alone?"

"You idiot, I don't want anyone close getting hurt again. Won't this sink through your skull?"

Naruto got up from the sofa, approached Sasuke and kneeling before him, said:

"I don't want you getting hurt, either. I'm not bailing out on you. Ever."

"You're crazy."

"We're even, Sasuke. "

With that he left. Naruto didn't pause to wait for the other's answer – he didn't want to hear it. Being a stubborn bastard, he didn't want to know that Sasuke still defied him, still wanted to do his own thing.

* * *

This time when Naruto sensed someone following him, like a restless ghoul in a haunted forest, he wasn't startled – too many things, which had turned his world topsy-turvy, had happened lately; he was too preoccupied with a thousand thoughts to be scared off by some amateur stalker – most of the time, it was only a beggar or some weirdo anyway.

The efflorescence of the street lamp revealed the figure to be no one other than Itachi, still donning the black attire and looking as enigmatic as ever. To his internal surprise, Naruto wasn't scared or frightened. He was just pissed off and cursed audibly, hoping that the other man would get the hint. He needed a night's rest and it seemed, that like always, he wasn't going to have any peace tonight either.

Itachi didn't talk, but came closer and his footsteps – once again bounced off against the pavement. Yet, that didn't strike Naruto as special, what really impressed him was how extraordinarily the man blended, fit in with the darkness of the night – it was as if he were a phantom. Regardless of that, Naruto didn't back away nor felt the urge to run away.

Naruto only felt anger building up inside of man. So this was the bastard who had hurt Sasuke that much: he would pay for that. Feeling the anger rake inside him restlessly, Naruto clenched his fist, ready to strike someone down and with all the hatred he could muster, said:

"I don't know why I always end up meeting you on dark alley corners or streets. You have a knack for stalking, don't you?"

If Itachi was offended, he didn't show it. He didn't reveal anything, other than very mild, barely readable surprise. Then again, it could have been the illumination playing tricks on Naruto's mind – it was hard to tell. He had never been very good at reading people and Itachi was anything but expressive. He hadn't even shrugged his shoulders or given any kind of indication that he had heard.

"No, I just wanted to talk you, Naruto-kun," Itachi said softly, his eyes unblinking and steadfastly focused on Naruto's silhouette; it was unsettling, to say the least.

Naruto snorted, thinking that whatever had been worth saying had already been expostulated upon: he really didn't know what the bastard wanted to say. Whatever it was, it couldn't be anything pleasant – their little chit-chat from last time still sent shivers of nausea and disgust running down his spine. The thought that someone could describe homicide with such ruthless nonchalance and cold-bloodiness chilled him to the bone; Naruto couldn't hide the outraged disbelief in his voice.

"I know everything already. You're sick. "

_Understatement of the century. _

"My foolish brother told you everything, I see," Itachi merely responded, sounding mildly amused, He had moved closer to Naruto and for the first time, the other noticed that the man's fingernails were painted black.

"He's – well, what is that you want?"

"I told you I want to talk."

"Well, I don't want to, asshole."

It took Naruto a second to observe that Itachi, in contrast to Sasuke, was a very calm and resilient man; he didn't feel bothered at being insulted at all. Sasuke, at this point, would have either slammed Naruto in the stomach or engaged in verbal fight. Itachi, however, wasn't effected at all.

"Look, I don't know what you're planning exactly, but I'll find you out."

Naruto wasn't feeling intimated by Itachi: there wasn't anything the man could do to him. Although he behaved like an oblivious idiot at times, he wasn't dumb enough to let his guard down. Besides, he was strong: if the crazy asshole only dared to try something funny, there would be payback. Tsunade hadn't exaggerated when she had accused of Naruto nearly having killed Orochimaru – it hadn't taken much.

"You care about Sasuke, don't you?"

"More than you do, obviously. Sasuke -- he deserves better than you."

Itachi was unmoved, unconcerned and Naruto asked himself whether that man had ever been pierced by stabs of regret; he assumed the contrary. In all likeability, Itachi was probably one of those dead man walking, devoid of compassion or anything that made one human.

"If you care so much about him, then you'll make sure he won't do anything stupid."

"What do you mean?"

"Just don't let him out of your eyes."

"What-"

"Keep an eye on him."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Naruto shouted, confusion marring his features.

Itachi, instead of answering, moved away. Naruto was too surprised and confused to do anything, but watch him walk away. The darkness was slowly growing lighter, breaking apart and to his consternation, Naruto found out that he had spent another night not sleeping at all.

* * *

Itachi's words didn't let go of Naruto, as he ascended the steps to his apartment. He was worn out, exasperated beyond belief, but the sudden appearance of Sasuke's brother didn't suit well with him. Despite all that, he was too tired to do anything now, apart from dragging his half-dead body upstairs. Warily, he grabbed the keys out of his pocket and opened the door with clumsy movements; the second it opened, he let out a sigh of relief. Then, feeling like Robinson Crusoe having escaped the island, he dropped onto his bed and fell into a deep slumber.

Not even the Devil himself could have torn Naruto from his bed. Or so it would have been, had it not been for his damned conscience.

_Keep an eye on him..._

In a matter of few seconds, he was awake, sat from his bed, cursed and though his head was dizzy and his body felt heavy as lead, Naruto got up. The feeling of the cold floor didn't startle him, for he had gone to bed with his shoes on and was still dressed. Naruto smirked when he thought how disgusted Sakura would have been at all this; he wouldn't have gotten away with it. Perhaps, she would have skinned him alive.

A resounding _knack _under his shoes brought Naruto back to the present – he had stepped on another pencil. There was no time to be lost now: he had no idea why he felt like this. Maybe it was a premonition, destiny or just that feeling in his guts that, if he didn't do this, something bad would happen.

The twenty minutes that it took him to get to Sasuke's home were the longest in Naruto's life. All the time, sitting in the sunken cushioned seat of the tube, he was frantic with anticipation; the noise of the train rolling and halting at each station was odious, nigh unbearable to him. Each time, the damned vehicle stopped, Naruto had to restrain himself from screaming: he bit his underlip and dug into the material of his shirt, feeling that he had to hold onto something. This was bad: he felt like time was working against him. And he was lucky -- he had been nearly too late. Sasuke was standing outside of his apartment, looking like he was up to something.

"Where do you think you're goin?"

"It's -" Sasuke started, but Naruto shut him up by slapping his hand against the other's mouth. Sasuke promptly swatted the hand away, shooting a dirty look at him. But Naruto didn't falter; he was made of harder stuff than this.

_I'm not having this shit again. _

"None of my concern? You're not going anywhere without me."

Naruto was dead serious, had never been more serious about anything else in his life. Sasuke could punch a hole through his chest, kill him on the spot or do anything in his power to try to get rid off him. Yet, Naruto was resolved and clinging like a pesky parasite on a symbiotic relationship, he was beyond caring: he would have done anything to make Sasuke understand.

Sasuke must have seen the determination on his face.

"Idiot," he scowled, his face revealing no other emotion that mild irritation.

"You're the idiot."

"Fine. It's not like I can persuade you otherwise."

"Sasuke, just tell me -"

"I'm finally doing what I came here for. Don't get in my way."

Naruto didn't ask what Sasuke meant by that precisely – there was no need for it.

* * *

The building was dark-greyish, probably the ugliest edifice he had ever seen in his life. Naruto followed Sasuke silently into the inside of the building, his heart jolting with every step they took down the stairs: the stairs creaked and the sickening smell of urine and nicotine assaulted his senses.

_God, when I get out of this alive, Sasuke owes me. _

The moments before they finally reached their destination spread out into near-infinity and Naruto's stomach churned – he wasn't scared, but he really didn't feel all too good about it either. Perhaps, he should have asked what Sasuke was actually planning to do. Trusting someone blindly wasn't always good, but then again, he wasn't sure how much he could trust in Sasuke.

"Sasuke, I know-"

"Be quiet."

The sound of voices – loud and evidently in process of debating over some issue loudly – made Naruto's reply die in his throat. Without further ado, he decided to be as inconspicuous as possible. This included not asking Sasuke whether he had gone bonkers over agonising too much over things.

Although it was dark, the glimmer coming from the bulb suspended over the debaters' heads made it easy for Naruto to recognise what they looked like. And he had never seen odder people in his entire life. One of them, a blond with long hair and dressed in some black clock was pointedly wagging his hand in front of another man's face. That man, who looked more like a boy than anything else, was disinterestedly staring at the guy. It was an odd contrast: while the one was practically overflowing with emotion, the other was suspiciously calm. He seemed intent on humouring the other man's mood and also pass the time by grating on the other's nerves.

"Look, I tell you it's art – art isn't something that lasts forever, but is for the moment. A thing that goes blast and remains imprinted in the spectator's -"

"Bullshit. Only something that was created for eternity could have an effect on -"

"Shut up Sasori. You know nothing about real art. My art is infinitely better than yours, hmm."

_What the fuck? They're seriously fighting over art? Are we in the right place?_

He also didn't think that they would remain undetected for long because Naruto had no idea how long he could listen to this crap. He didn't give a rat's ass about art; the only sort that interested him either involved naked girls or cars. All of a sudden, a cool voice – familiar and making the blood in Naruto's vein freeze – spoke. It was Itachi's.

"Shut up, both of you."

Naruto had failed to detect him before; Itachi had been so quiet and unnoticeable. Sasuke was tense, his entire body seemed to have been rendered immobile and his eyes were fixed on his brother; nothing else seemed to exist for him anymore. Naruto knew this wasn't any good – they couldn't remain hidden in the shadows forever.

"You just don't understand art."

Itachi didn't respond.

"Oh well, we'll go out. The boss wants to see me and the cretin here for the next job. Take care," the blond said flippantly.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when the two passed them by without really paying attention. He didn't know what he would have done, if they had spotted both him and Sasuke, hiding there in the darkness. It might have had fatal consequence, but Naruto was nervous; he might have exaggerated.

Luckily, they were too engrossed in their debate over art and, exaggeration or not, the sounds of their argumentative statements faded away into the distance. After they were out of earsight, Naruto turned to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, we should leave. You can't just -"

Sasuke wasn't by his side anymore, but had entered the dingy room. Cursing and shaking his fist at some invisible individual, Naruto followed, even though his gut reaction told him to make a run for it.

* * *

Sasuke started at his brother for what seemed like ages. Moments seemed to tick slowly away, as if the world had come to a halt. Perhaps, it had – for Sasuke, at least. Terror is always gripping, and seems eternal when the flash of a proverbial blade slashes through your throat.

Once again, the thought of how similar the brothers looked flashed through Naruto's mind – the resemblance was eye-popping; Itachi and Sasuke looked outlandishly beautiful, too beautiful and graceful to be part of this world. And yet, Itachi was colder and looked more like a shadow than anything else.

"So, foolish brother, you've finally come," Itachi remarked carelessly, as if he been talking about the shopping list for tomorrow's grocery, instead of the younger brother he hadn't seen in years.

"I'd have come earlier," Sasuke said in the same non-committed tone. Yet Naruto could tell that he was bustling -- literally -- with anger and only waiting for the chance to strike.

"What is that you actually want? I don't have time to indulge in useless chit-chat."

"I'll kill you. I'll kill you, you stupid fuck."

"Language, Sasuke. Mother taught us better that."

"Shut up. _SHUT UP_. You were the one who killed her," Sasuke spat out, no longer hiding the hatred in his voice. Naruto had never heard him like this, had never believed that Sasuke could actually yell -- and in such a desperate manner as well. He had never seen him like this either, the devastation was crystal clear: Sasuke looked as if he were experiencing the homicide all over again, as if his parents were being murdered all over again. This wasn't merely hatred, but distraught sorrow and disbelief. Deep down, Sasuke had never stopped hoping that all of this had been a nightmare and not reality.

Sasuke, trembling from head to foot, reached out for the gun hidden in his pockets. Itachi never moved from the spot, eyeing his younger brother with heightened interest, but apart from that, he was stiff and still. He stood there, like a statue and only seemed to wait for Sasuke to draw his sword, gun or whatever else the other had planned.

"So you're going to kill me now?" he asked quietly, contemplating his brother coolly. He didn't look anything, but mildly interested. It would have been enough to aggravate anyone.

Though no longer shaking, Sasuke pointed the gun somewhat hesitantly at Itachi, as if the sight of the other man was painful and horrible to him. Naruto had no idea what the hell was going on through Sasuke's head, but he could imagine that this was breaking him, tugging at his insides and slowly killing him. What happened next was too fast for Naruto's eyes to capture: Sasuke was aiming the gun at Itachi and a bang resounded. But the bullet never reached Itachi. It struck the wall instead and there was a resounding slap of metal against the floor – falling and creating an ear-splitting thud that even had the rats skittering away. Naruto's heart stopped beating; he moved forward, ready to strike Itachi dead, if Sasuke was hurt.

Itachi stood towering above Sasuke, who was pinned against the wall, gasping in pain and what was more, long repressed devastation -- Naruto hadn't ever seen Sasuke so broken. He felt the chill running down his spine.

"Don't approach me again until you're strong enough."

Then, he left, simply left, brushing up against Naruto's shoulders, as he did so. It didn't seem to be anything, but a game to him. Naruto meanwhile was too concerned with Sasuke to leave; he couldn't leave him. Not like _this. _Not when his eyes looked that empty.

* * *

_We should talk about this. But what can I say?_

The drive back to Sasuke's apartment was a painful one – and it brought memories home that Naruto had wanted to forget. He had been like this too, after they had found Orochimaru's rotting corpse in his apartment. Back then, Sasuke hadn't prodded him for information or forced him to talk. The silence was unbearable though; he could feel the blood pumping in his veins, his teeth grinding against one another and the way his heart constricted painfully in his throat. Any more of this and Naruto was certain he would had to let out a holler -- just to confirm that they weren't dead yet.

Wordlessly, he followed Sasuke into his apartment and shut the door behind him. As long as the other didn't throw him out, he figured that it was fine for him to be here – he wasn't going to leave Sasuke alone for all the price in the world.

The night made the apartment appear even ghastlier than before – the stacks of books piling on the floor looked ominous and again, the tomb-like aspect of the complex had taken reign full-throttle. Naruto wondered whether Sasuke was ever going to do something about this. The apartment's bleak atmosphere made him feel depressed and this wasn't what a guest should have felt like; however, he didn't have time for this now. They needed to talk -- badly.

"Sasuke-" Naruto started hesitantly, biting his lips and fisting his fingers nervously in the material of his shirt.

The addressed never let him finish his sentence, but grabbing him by the hem of the shirt and pining him against the wall, slammed his lips against Naruto's. Shell-shocked, Naruto opened his mouth and was even more flabbergasted when Sasuke's tongue entered his mouth; he responded, partly out of habit, but also because he had no idea what else to do. Naruto's eyes were closed, his entire brain had shut down and he only felt Sasuke's lips moving against his own.

This was getting dangerous. Naruto wasn't naïve or stupid: he knew what Sasuke was initiating and he didn't like it. Okay, that was a lie: his body was definitely not protesting, but his conscience wasn't necessarily agreeing to this. He had done this too often for the wrong reasons and for once, he didn't want to screw up. Sasuke wasn't a toy.

"No, I don't think this is what we should-" Naruto murmured, trying to push Sasuke away gently; however, the other was tugging at his shirt and their faces were close again. Naruto could feel Sasuke's lips against his cheeks, then his voice whispered into his ear:

"Shut up."

Naruto shivered; he was a nervous mess and if Sasuke continued to tease him like this, wasn't sure whether he could remain cool about this. To hell with it, he was already painfully aroused.

"No, I'm not doing this because -"

_You're broken. This is fucked up and you're – no I don't want to make things messier. _

Sasuke attacked Naruto's mouth again, not letting him voice his protest – affirmations of why this wrong – any longer; he was insistent and his mouth, those sinfully formed lips were against his.

"I'm not doing this because of Itachi."

"You're just telling yourself that," Naruto tried again, shaking his head, but his resolve was dying, melting away like squishy snow being trodden on repeatedly by some harsh footwork.

"I'm doing this because I want to."

"Sasuke. You're an idiot, if you think this is going to make you feel better."

"Don't patronise me, moron."

"You idiot, I just want you to fucking understand, that if we do this, there's no going back anymore. "

"Don't talk anymore, Naruto. Just don't talk."

He didn't know when they hit the bed or how Sasuke ended up beneath him; he was too lost in the sensation of kissing Sasuke. The other shuddered beneath when he started to kiss his neck, slowly unbuttoning his shirt at the same time: his skin was impossibly soft and smooth, not calloused and rough like he had expected it to be. Perhaps, it shouldn't have surprised him too much. Sasuke was a bundle of contradictions and as such, contained a lot of surprises.

Sasuke's mouth was warm, his hands were all over Naruto's hair and his body was arching upwards, trying to hasten Naruto's movements. They were both still dressed, drenched in sweat and Naruto tried his best not to tear off Sasuke's clothes off, having him bend over and just be done with it. The tension was killing him. Apparently, Sasuke thoughts matched him.

"Hurry up."

Naruto felt anger building up inside of him: Sasuke was really a stubborn bastard and part of him was compelled to just rip the other's clothes off. Another part of him, however, remembered that Sasuke was a freaking virgin and as defiant as he pretended to be, he was certain that Sasuke had to be nervous. Or this was his own wishful thinking.

"I'll make this good, if you have more patience."

He kissed Sasuke again – tenderly this time and reached down to touch his erection. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about Sasuke not being into this: Sasuke was hard and looking into his face, Naruto could see a flush of desire forming on his cheeks. He began to stroke, slowly at first, but his movements fastened and Sasuke began to pant, harshly. He pushed Naruto off, but only to pull his shirt over his head and motion Naruto to do the same; the rest of their clothes followed after.

_He's really impatient. Must be years of pent up sexual frustration. _

"What are you-" Sasuke asked, but shut up when Naruto started to stretch him.

"Trust me."

"Not in a hundred years moron."

Naruto had to bite his lips from yelling out loud. Sasuke was a bastard, even vulnerably naked and with his ass being stretched, he was as aggravatingly annoying as always. He had heard the saying that a little argument spiced up one's sex life, but this was testing his patience, more than anything else. Perhaps, jerking off was really better than attempting to do it with Sasuke.

"Shut up, idiot. Unless you want this to hurt."

"Will you just hurry up!" Sasuke said through gritted teeth. He was red in the face and looked positively enraged – he didn't seem to enjoy the preparations too much. Or, his pride wouldn't allow him to lean back and enjoy it.

"I'm telling you asshole that it'll hurt, if I ram you dry. Trust me. It's not a nice experience."

_And I should know. _

That finally made Sasuke shut up and he closed his eyes, dug his fingers into the sheet and tried his best to ignore what Naruto was doing to him. It wasn't like Naruto didn't understand: he knew that having someone stretching and all that in the rectal area wasn't really arousing, at first.

However, Naruto cursed out when he realised that one vital thing was missing: he hadn't brought lube along with him, not having counted on getting laid tonight. The problem was that he had no idea how to explain this to Sasuke.

"We can't really do this."

"What is it again?"

"The lube – I don't have any."

"Use spit, then."

In another circumstance, Naruto would have thought that Sasuke's practical way of thinking was a blessing; however, he didn't feel like jesting now.

"Hell no. It'll hurt."

"Then use shampoo -- it's in the bathroom."

"No-"

Sasuke just shook his head and with his head pointed to where the bathroom was, Naruto saw no other way, but to obey him. At least, it was better than using nothing. After he came him, he was still dubious and said:

"Perhaps, it'd be better-"

"Use it, Naruto. Or get out," Sasuke muttered angrily.

"You-"

"I warn you," Sasuke said, his eyes narrowed into slits and promising nothing good. He was squirming under Naruto and his arousal was brushing against Naruto's inner thighs.

Well, if he was going to be like this – Naruto had no other choice, really. He uncapped the lid of the shampoo, smeared it on his hand and when all the preparations were done, entered Sasuke with his fingers again – as slowly and as gently as he could. He wasn't going to to do this without preparing him. _Properly._

"Naruto- fuck..." Sasuke mumbled out in pleasure or pain; Naruto had no idea which it was. He felt like he was drowning, only that instead of sinking and losing all notion where he was, Naruto was hyperaware of everything. He had never felt more complete.

_Have it your way._

This time, Sasuke squirmed and groaned; the discomfort from earlier seemed to have disappeared and heightened his sense of frustration. His fingernails were scraping against Naruto's back, leaving angry marks on his skin behind. It was painful and arousing at the same time. Naruto could barely endure it himself – he wanted this just as badly, even though part of him was still doubting the rightness of it.

Sasuke didn't leave him time to think, but hissed and with a skill and fastness that struck Naruto speechless, drew Naruto close to him and thrusting upwards with his hips, nearly frantically conveyed that he was ready.

"You're such a bastard, Sasuke."

He didn't let Sasuke respond, but kissed him hard, forcing his mouth apart with a roughness that was nearly beastly. If Sasuke had wanted him to be tender, he would have taken this slow and gently, but this wasn't what the other needed. So, Naruto was wiled to give Sasuke what he desired.

He entered Sasuke in one swift movement, not waiting for Sasuke to get adjusted to the sensation of having him inside. But he didn't move immediately, either. It was hard, though. Sasuke was awfully tight, hot and everything else that Naruto couldn't help out groaning loudly – he had never been with someone so virginal before. Then again, there was no comparison to this: Sasuke felt good, impossibly good.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. It's fine."

Sasuke didn't look to be in any kind of tremendous pain, although the discomfort he felt showed plainly on his features; he was trying his best to appear unconcerned, but Naruto didn't buy it. Feeling sentimental, he kissed Sasuke's sweat-soaked forehead and then, moved to attack Sasuke's neck with kisses. Sasuke began to breathe heavily and sighed, thus giving Naruto the cue that it was fine to move now.

His hips gave an experimental thrust, wanting to see how Sasuke would react to it: Sasuke gasped and his hands latched themselves around Naruto's neck.

"Move faster, do it harder," Sasuke ordered, his voice shaky with desire and something else Naruto couldn't quite place. It was despair, happiness and anger all mixed into one – jaded, bitter and euphoric at the same time. Naruto wanted to be gentle, wanted to take this slowly and show Sasuke how much he cared. However, the tightness was driving him crazy and the whole tension of the past few months, weeks and days crashed unto him all at once; he started to pound into Sasuke relentlessly, claiming and making Sasuke his own with each thrust. Sasuke didn't mind at all; his fingernails scratched Naruto's back and he writhed under Naruto.

"Sasuke, I -"

"_Shh_, don't talk. Just don't say a word."

Sasuke was moaning now, his low voice sounding sexier and more alluring than Naruto had ever believed it to be possible. Although it was dark, the daylight peeking in through the window gave him a good glimpse of Sasuke's beautiful features contorting with pleasure. Yet, there was something nearly forced and wrong about this, something that tugged at Naruto's heartstrings, even while he rode out his own orgasm and reaching climax, buried his head in Sasuke's, trying to ignore the guilt building up inside of him. Sasuke came shuddering under him, panting and moaning loudly.

He had really fucked things up. But, while Naruto was guilt-ridden like this, Sasuke's hands started to caress his hair and his lips kissed Naruto's forehead.

"Sasuke-" Naruto asked, lifting his head from the position and looking into his lover's face. He wasn't smiling, but there was something Naruto had never seen in his eyes before – gentleness and reassurance. No, he wasn't being sappy here. Sasuke wasn't wearing his trademark scowl and by tenderly letting his fingers slide down Naruto's neck, curling them around his shoulders, Naruto – with a pang in his heart – realised that he was the one _being consoled, _not vice versa. That day had been sheer hell for Sasuke, but he was still like this – if Naruto could have cried at that moment, he would have.

"Don't think too much, idiot," Sasuke whispered quietly; his voice was different from usual – rougher and raw with emotion. He didn't sound exasperated at all – rather truly concerned.

"You're the idiot," Naruto responded and buried his face in Sasuke's unruly, messy hair, wishing that he could remain like this forever.

:


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Notes:

Not much to say about this; this was bet'd (and made more readable) by **Alley-Oop.**

* * *

Sometimes waking up from a dream is a quick, abrupt process that rips you out of your fancy, pretend-world and-- with tremendous fear clawing at your heart -- you find yourself gasping for breath and clutching the sweat-drenched pyjama shirt sticking ruefully to your skin.

At other times, it's a more gradual process: you hear voices floating in and out of your brain, are aware of the sunlight peeking in through the curtained windows and are enshrouded by that state of semi-consciousness – that, like a cloud, wraps itself around you. It's like drowning, but you're not dying – but slowly resurfacing from the depths of the sea. You hear, yet don't hear; see, yet don't see; and are here, but not here. It's like being in a semi-trance: everything seems vague and blurred. Everything seems better and more hopeful as well.

Naruto was in that half-dazed, half-asleep state. He knew that it was no longer night and that the birds were already twittering and fluttering outside, even though it was raining. He could hear the rain pattering on the roof, the sound of water droplets hitting the windowsill and the droning of the all too potent thunder. A storm was approaching.

Yet, his eyes were still closed. He didn't feel like opening them right now, lest something evil was approaching. He had learned at an early age that, sometimes, it was better not to wake up – not every awakening brought pleasant consequences along with it.

Indeed, most of the time, it was better not to wake up at all.

He could still remember– and probably would never forget– the morning his parents had passed away. He would never forget how the message had crashed upon him like a thunderbolt and altered his life in a matter of milliseconds. In one second- in another lifetime- he had been Naruto Uzumaki, the son of two very awesome and highly accomplished people, and- in another awful, perverse mood of fate -he had been reduced to an orphan. You couldn't say that this had been a reason to rejoice; it had been worse than death.

Therefore, Naruto didn't want to wake up, but pretend that he was still engulfed by the reassuring indulgence of sleep.

Slowly, however, his eyes blinked and, after some minutes, opened wide– it was a shocking awakening. Naruto had no idea where he was because, wherever this room was, it didn't belong to him. He didn't recall having such whitewashed walls, or such a hard mattress. This was a neat room, not his pencil-littered, messy one. He wouldn't have ever managed to maintain such flawless order and organization. What perturbed him the most, though, was the fact that he was stark naked, only covered by thin sheets. There were also other details about his state that shouldn't necessarily be recounted, but they made Naruto feel more than just horrified; he was frantic and nearly maddened with confusion.

"Shit," Naruto whispered, trying to sit up in the bed; he was having trouble figuring out what had happened, as his brain was still a pell-mell of trance- like sensations and vague recollections. He had been dealing with too many things lately.

_Please not again._

This wouldn't have been the first time that he had woken up under such mysterious circumstances. When Kiba had accused him of screwing around, he hadn't been wrong: Naruto had been through experiences that were more than questionable. Yet, now, he was freaked out because there was no sign of a condom anywhere and this wasn't what he needed now. Contracting STDs was not something Naruto was really wild about. Then again, this couldn't be what it looked like. He hadn't been anything close to remotely drunk.

Something in the back of his mind nagged that this wasn't a usual circumstance, but as of yet, Naruto was still too light-headed to realize what had happened. But his brain was slowly gaining light of the situation and comprehension was starting to sink in.

Images and memories came crashing down upon him; the events of the past two days rolled over him like a steam engine intent on breaking some world record. He had been researching on Sasuke's family, found out more about his creepy-slash-stalker brother, and finally confronted the peevish bastard himself. Sasuke had been reluctant to talk and Naruto, in spite of everything, had still felt pushed back. But he hadn't given up.

_Bastard_, Naruto thought. _He just likes to live difficultly_.

And, somewhere along the line, he had slept with Sasuke. The memories of last night rendered Naruto to feeling sheepishly stupid and his stomach fluttered. He blushed as well. He couldn't make out whether it had been a dream, some sort of hallucination, or reality. It was hard to figure that out.

The place next to Naruto's side was empty; merely the slightly sunken in cushion implied that someone had been there. Of course, it had been Sasuke, and it was with a great feeling of disappointment that Naruto digested that fact. As often as he'd woken up alone before in a similar situation, this was the first time he felt hurt, even used.

He might have only done this to forget.

Naruto's next actions weren't as idle and lazy as they had been before. In a sickening frenzy, he leapt out of bed and put on his clothes in a hasty manner, intent on finding out where Sasuke was.

He couldn't keep the nausea from affecting his mood. If Sasuke had left, then this wasn't a good sign at all. In spite of Sasuke's consolation during the night before, he had really made a mistake. He had to find out what had happened. If Sasuke was gone, he would find a way to trace him. He had sworn to never let go of Sasuke, hadn't he?

...

Sasuke, to his innermost surprise and relief, wasn't gone. Had he really been gone, Naruto would have probably run out of the apartment block and searched for him everywhere. He wouldn't have rested his aching limbs for a second. He was too foregone to have simply let Sasuke go.

However, the point in being was that Sasuke wasn't gone, but here: he hadn't just up and left.

In fact, Sasuke was sitting on a stool over a cup of steaming coffee, immersed in what seemed to be a newspaper article. It looked so oddly domestic and –well- normal that Naruto had to suck in his breath – he still had difficulty digesting that Sasuke could be as relaxed and remotely carefree as anyone else.

For the span of a few minutes, he just stared at Sasuke flicking through the pages and leaning his head against his left elbow. The feeling of nausea and anxiety that had been forming inside of his stomach was gone. Naruto was endlessly relieved.

When Naruto, out of breath and trembling nervously, entered the kitchen, Sasuke looked up and wordlessly signaled for him to take a seat. He didn't look dramatically different. In spite of all, he was still the same frustrating, disgruntled, and proud-looking man he had always been. Naruto couldn't help feeling a teeny bit disappointed. He had always thought that sex changed people, but he might have been mistaken. In retrospect, it hadn't changed him dramatically either. And he'd done it often enough– sex had not made him any wiser.

Still, this time it did feel different. Something about this morning after was out of the norm.

_It's the first time I've really– whatever. I've never really stayed... This is awkward, man._

Observing the whitewashed walls of Sasuke's kitchen with acute interest, Naruto tried to come up with a decent greeting, but his words failed him. He found himself tongue-tied, like he had been engaged in some philosophical debate lasting from sunrise till sunset.

After a while, he attempted: "Sasuke. It's good you're here. I thought you had... Not important."

"You thought I had left?" Sasuke asked non committally, even though it was more of a statement than an inquiry. He was no longer looking at Naruto, but flipping through the pages of the newspaper and frowning. Apparently, he didn't like what he was reading, and Naruto found it oddly endearing. Sasuke's slight frown of disapproval was both childish and still so very much him.

"No – Yes. I just don't know-" Naruto started, but he couldn't find the right words. His thoughts were still jumbled and a messy array of self-doubting, contradictory emotions.

"What's going in my head?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto simply nodded, thinking that this was the best way to convey his feelings. He knew that Sasuke wasn't offended in the least. Besides, there was another question on his mind, far more important than anything else. As hard as it was to reconcile the image of a moaning, sweating Sasuke with the one facing him, it hadn't been a dream. At least, Naruto hoped so.

"You don't regret what we did last night, Sasuke, do you?"

Sasuke's eyes met his own again, this time carefully looking at Naruto's worried and anxious face. He sighed and, tossing the paper into the nearby dustbin, rather unabashedly asked: "Do you?"

Naruto nearly gasped in shock. This hadn't been the retort he had been expecting. He had expected Sasuke to either remain quiet, burst out into a furious soliloquy, or deny that anything had ever happened. Yet, this was not what he had thought possible. Sasuke wasn't quite as readable as he had thought. In some way, Naruto liked that. It made life more interesting. However, at present, he was more confused and doubting.

_He's not supposed to be the one asking that. I'm not the one who's been running away all this time!_

"That's not what I asked you!" Naruto protested, wanting to know what Sasuke was playing at and demanded once more: "Do you regret it? Say either yes or no, bastard."

He needed to know before they returned to the headquarters; this was more pressing than anything else.

_This is no longer just about us being partners. Not just about Itachi_.

"No, I don't. But if you keep referring to me as 'bastard', I will."

Naruto couldn't keep the grin from appearing on his face, even though there wasn't anything remotely funny in Sasuke's remark. Notwithstanding, he was happy because, as infuriating as Sasuke's answer was, it hadn't been a rejection, but an approval.

_At least he's still himself._

Indeed, Sasuke was just being bitchy as usual and Naruto was indignant. At the same time, something inside of him was glad that this aspect of their relationship hadn't faded away. They were still capable of ruffling each other's feathers like two spoiled brats. Naruto was relieved. This felt like old times before Itachi had invaded. He decided to play along.

"Then you should stop calling me, I quote: 'moron,' 'dumbass,' 'idiot,' and the other charming names you've tossed at me. It's only fair, Sasuke."

"Well, unlike me, you deserve the nicknames," Sasuke answered, as if were a well-known fact that couldn't be refuted against. Naruto felt like slapping him or kissing the hell out of him. He had to be losing his mind.

"See, that's why I can't stop calling you a b-"

Sasuke grabbed hold of Naruto's hand and silenced him with a chaste kiss on his lips. It was swift and barely noticeable – just a ghost of a kiss. Naruto shuddered at the contact; the memories of how Sasuke had felt the night before were assaulting him again, making figurative butterflies flutter in his stomach. He was electrified. He wanted to deepen the kiss and pull Sasuke closer, but the other had broken the contact before he could even register what had occurred. Sasuke had become extremely good at cutting him off.

_Soon, he'll have me wrapped around that finger of his. He knows it as well as I do_.

Sasuke's voice was oddly gentle and not reproachful when he spoke- he sounded nearly tranquil and happy. However, Naruto wasn't fooled. He knew that as long as Itachi roamed about, Sasuke wouldn't ever be quite peaceful.

"Don't call me that, Naruto. And I won't call you idiot– unless you do something stupid again. Now get ready or we'll be late."

Naruto felt they should have talked about last night's events, but he was too happy for the present. Or, better said, he just didn't want to think about it. He hadn't digested the fruits of his so-called research yet. In fact, as confident and secure as he had felt when he had confronted Sasuke, Naruto now doubted whether any of it was true: he may have gotten carried away in the heat of the moment. Indeed, he might have just grasped at any loopholes he could find.

But now, he just wanted to forget.

* * *

There is this existing cliché of people being able to discern or detect a difference in a person after said individual got laid. Well, in Sasuke's case, Naruto was glad to observe that no one in the office seemed to have realized anything. Nonetheless, perhaps, Sasuke was an exception. He wasn't like the common brand of men; his emotions were so well sealed that to thrust them to the scrutiny of the public was an impossible task. Unless, of course, you were called Itachi. Or Naruto Uzumaki.

In contrast to that, everybody seemed to realize that something had happened to Naruto. He was just like an open book and, amongst knowing smiles from his colleagues, Naruto was shocked to see Shikamaru approach him while he was photocopying one of Sasuke's reports. He hoped that it would just be another of his friend's usual jabs. But this wasn't the case. Shikamaru looked serious and worried while he was speaking.

"I'm surprised you weren't late this time. I'd thought that your research last night would have made you sleep longer than usual. What did you look for?"

"Ah, just some things," Naruto answered, hoping that this would be a sufficient hint.

Shikamaru furrowed an eyebrow. Naruto felt like slapping himself. He should have remembered that Shikamaru, among his genius for strategies, was pretty good at reading people- especially him. He had never been able to lie to Shikamaru and should have just told him it was none of his business. Shikamaru was anything but obtrusive and would have hardly been offended. Or at least pretended not to be.

"You know, it's not my style to inquire after other people's habits, but...you're my friend, Naruto. And you've been acting weird, lately."

Naruto knew Shikamaru had good intentions; he knew that he could have trusted him or Chouji with his life. However, he just didn't want them dragged into this mess. It wasn't their burden to carry and Sasuke wouldn't have appreciated it.

"Please not you too. I'm starting to getting fed up with everyone behaving as if I'm going to crack soon. Do I seem depressed you?"

"No, but-"

"Then just don't ask that many questions. It's troublesome."

Shikamaru was puzzled for a moment and then finally answered: "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

Naruto clapped Shikamaru good-naturedly on the shoulder and assured him: "Look if anything happens– really happens –I'll tell you. Just don't break your heart over little ol' me."

Shikamaru snorted and shook his head. "Now that would really be troublesome."

Naruto laughed in return.

The sun burned obstinately onto Naruto's frame while he sat with his elbows pressed against both his knees on the hard wooden surface of the shaky bench. It was a cruelly hot day, and the sunlight nearly seemed to burn through his skin like a blade. His head throbbed painfully. Any more of it and Naruto felt sure he would explode. It wasn't just that he had a searing headache, but he felt that his tête was like a heavy, squishy watermelon. Whatever it was, Naruto just didn't feel good.

He had come here to get some fresh air – the oppressiveness and dullness of the office had been choking him. Sasuke hadn't wanted to come along, so Naruto had been forced to go alone.

_What if he's regretting it, after all? Or am I being too paranoid about all this?_

However, Naruto was somewhat relieved he was on his own. Like this, overzealous colleagues or the shadow of Sasuke looming over his head didn't constantly pester him – it was good to have some sort of distance once in a while.

Yet, when the bench creaked under the weight of another person, Naruto promptly looked up. However, his pleased, even hopeful features fell to a hateful scorn when he perceived whom the individual was. But he was less surprised than he had been in the previous encounters- this had nearly become something of a jolly tradition. Not everyone could claim to be acquainted with a murderer, least of all with such a charming and well-composed one.

Itachi Uchiha was a mystery and each and every time Naruto tried to make sense out of him, his wits failed him.

"Ah. You want to talk to me again, right?" Naruto asked without allowing any of his emotions to pass through his lips. He wasn't going to betray how much the man made the blood in veins come to a chill. If he showed any weakness now, he had no idea what would happen next.

"It's good you were with Sasuke yesterday. He's a foolish boy; he needs someone to guide him."

Naruto snorted and coldly replied, "What he needs is for you to be dead."

He could still remember the dull thud of the bullet falling to the ground from the night before; it made him sick to think that it hadn't hit and torn Itachi's flesh asunder. This was the only thing he truly deserved, apart from being ripped to shreds by the Devil himself.

"That might happen soon enough. You never know," Itachi said quietly and calmly; he sounded nearly vulnerable.

Naruto looked up – his comprehension of the man's words had again flowed down the drain- he had no idea what Itachi was talking about. Perhaps, he thought, the burning sun and the dull, lazy murmur of the day was getting to him. Itachi was either cracking or trying to screw with his head.

"Can't you just once be straightforward? You talk in riddles. I can't figure you out. Why do you always come to me, anyway?" Naruto asked, though he knew very well that Itachi wouldn't provide him with the answers he needed. In that aspect, he was very much like Sasuke – complicated, stubborn and a tough nut to crack. But where Sasuke was explosive and emotional, Itachi was resilient and nearly patient, peaceful.

"Because you're what he needs."

"What do you-?"

"I've known you for a long time, Naruto. I've known you since that night I saw you at the hospital. When you were..."

_Don't continue, please don't_.

"Shut up. So you were the one – you shot my parents under the bastard's orders?" Naruto asked carefully, hesitantly. His throat felt dry and the nausea– in other words, bile – was rising upwards again. His stomach churned, his hands shook and the headache increased a manifold; his heart jolted sickeningly inside of his chest, as if eager to escape or harden itself against the immediate shock.

Itachi nodded and, for a moment, the world stopped.

Naruto felt the entire horror of that night collapsing on him again, only more painful and acute.

"I was the one who killed Orochimaru as well."

"Why-?" Naruto asked, flabbergasted, trying to regain some sort of control over his shaking and shuddering body.

"He was no longer of use," came the vague, mechanically uttered reply. Now, the painstakingly perfect method of Itachi's homicide returned full-throttle into Naruto's mind. It had been the perfect murder and in its ruthlessness, he now realized that only Sasuke's brother could have been the one. Because it had been all too perfect, too coincidental.

"Do you like doing this? Playing these sick games with Sasuke and –now- me? I won't let you break him anymore."

_And you won't break me either._

Itachi just continued to stare at Naruto. His eyes – so similar, yet different from Sasuke's– sent chills of fear down Naruto's spine because for the first time it wasn't just detachedness Naruto was looking at. Itachi's eyes, it seemed, were sad, wistful, and there seemed to be an age-old despair there, like he had been through a thousand wars. Those weren't the eyes of a young man, but a wretched, tired old soul.

"And yet, what I don't understand is why you didn't kill him? Why did you tell me what he intended to do?"

Naruto was in full cop modus now; he had to break through Itachi's seemingly impenetrable barrier because, otherwise, neither he nor Sasuke would ever find any peace.

There was something obscenely sickening in chatting with Itachi so casually in the park. The sound of traffic, children laughing, and the bees buzzing in the air was incredibly surrealistic. Cool night air, the chill of a winter, or the stormy blows of a thunderstorm would have been more fitting – the scenery at the moment was way too tranquil, too perfect.

Naruto wasn't sure whether he wanted to cry, laugh, or strike Itachi dead.

Itachi finally spoke, his voice eerily soft and his face wore a nearly sad smile.

"My brother was always a fool, now and then. Killing him was never what I had in mind."

Before Naruto fully comprehended the full implication of what Itachi could have- might have -meant, it was already too late. Itachi, with the speed of light and the quietness of a mouse, had slithered away, run off, and Naruto was too shell-shocked to follow. The weight of the words kept him bound to the bench like invisible shackles.

...

Naruto let his head rest between his folded hands; he was sweating profusely and the rushing back to the office hadn't done much to remedy that. He had wanted to skip work, but thought that it wouldn't have been the wisest move. As it was, he had caused more than enough trouble in the past few months. Tsunade would murder him as well. So, he stayed and was glad that Sasuke, silent as always, didn't bombard him with questions.

Naruto was at home, trying desperately to bring some sort of order into his home; cleaning up kept him from thinking, cogitating over depressing memories that– like ice-cold rain– soaked him wet. He didn't want to recall Itachi's words, least of all focus on his parents' deaths. It had happened years ago. He had cried, poured out his tears till none were left and, for years, Naruto had been empty. Now, he felt like everything was hitting him full-force in the face again.

A loud knock at the door didn't cheer him up, although Naruto was earnestly puzzled. It couldn't be Sakura, as she had resolved to spend time with Lee, since he had returned from doing whatever he did. Naruto couldn't really remember– the sound of her ecstatic voice over the phone had been more like background music. To his amazement, it was Kakashi, the man who still confused him more than anything. As always, Kakashi came straight to the point, but not before he had sat down on the sofa and motioned Naruto to follow him. Naruto gulped.

_Whatever it is, please don't let it be about Sasuke._

"I took the liberty of finding out who Sasuke is."

_Shit_.

"Why would you do that?" Naruto asked, horrified and thinking that Kakashi had finally lost it. Sasuke wasn't a criminal; there was no reason to probe about his personal files.

"Because admit it or not, something is going on here," Kakashi said, looking Naruto deeply in the eye. It was unsettling.

Naruto was about to protest when Kakashi's not-covered eye widened, and he found himself slapped on the back. Needless to say, Naruto had no idea what that was about and stared at Kakashi like he had truly lost his marbles.

"Ah, so you've found someone! That explains everything."

"What?" Naruto asked, leaning further back against the couch and looking for a way to evade the painful discussion. He knew that whatever Kakashi was going to say next was only going to confuse him further.

"You got laid! That's fantastic news. Now, who is she?"

_Okay, I'm confused. How did we go from Sasuke to- Ah, never mind._

Naruto coughed discreetly and pretended that the wall was a very interesting artifact. He was a bad liar and wouldn't be able to come up with anything good. He would never fool Kakashi. Ever.

"Kakashi, you see – it's kinda..."

_I'm hopeless_.

"So, it's a he?"

"... Yes."

"So what is he like? Someone interesting?"

"Err...I don't know. Quiet and ... it's not important."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, but then his features gained that knowing look -- he had put two and two together. Naruto felt like running away; this wasn't going to end well. Kakashi drew closer to Naruto and then, a slight tone of irritation mingled in his voice, inquired: "You're not telling me that you slept with Sasuke?"

"Kakashi... That's not– Well, what if I did?"

Kakashi sighed audibly and slapped Naruto on the forehead, earning a yelp from the younger man. Kakashi still managed to make him feel like an idiot, in spite of the years he had known the man. Kakashi leaned back against the couch and, rolling his uncovered eye, shook his head and started his usual rant. Naruto wanted to hit something.

"What did I tell you about getting sexually involved with someone at work? Maa, you didn't learn anything, idiot. It only leads to trouble."

Naruto wanted to scream. Of all things, this was the worst. He knew what would follow now: a stupid lecture from Kakashi's repertoire of wisdom on life. It was infuriating; he wasn't a kid anymore!

"Well, I couldn't really help- It's complicated."

"I'm starting to believe that anything that involves this Uchiha boy of yours is complicated."

_You hit the nail on head, Kakashi. Damn him, why is he that perceptive?_

"Look..."

But Kakashi shut him up by snapping with his fingers. He wasn't the type of person that liked explanations.

"Naruto, think about it from this point of view. Jiraiya fell in love with Tsunade, and look what it led him to. Why, he's so terrified of her, he even gave up on his job!"

"But he was writing porn. I don't see how he's suffering under that."

Naruto failed to understand the connection. Jiraiya seemed perfectly happy. But Kakashi didn't answer and continued. "He's spent the last two weeks sleeping at my house. Anyhow, Naruto. Sasuke Uchiha... He has a rather interesting family history. His brother, Itachi Uchiha..."

"…Was the thirteen-year-old genius kid who killed his parents. I know that."

"Do you also know that he worked under Orochimaru? At least for a while?"

Naruto swallowed that piece of information, but it didn't shock him anymore – it only confirmed a few things. He now knew for certain.

"No, I didn't know that. But I know he killed my parents. And that he was the one responsible for that bastard's death."

"Naruto, promise me you're not going to do anything stupid. This isn't a game! Sasuke seems to have only one thing in mind-"

"I know that as well, Kakashi. I know that."

"And you still got close to him? You allowed yourself to get involved with him?"

It sounded like a reproach to Naruto's ears and he let the question run through his brain. Yes, he had gotten involved with Sasuke. Even though he had been pushed away a countless number of times, he had gotten involved, in spite of everything. And he didn't regret it for a minute.

"What was I supposed to do, Kakashi? Just sit back and watch?"

"That might have been better. You can't always play the hero, Naruto."

Naruto rose from his sitting place and frantically walked to and fro in the room. Then, he faced Kakashi again. He had to make him understand.

"Tell me honestly: When my parents – my father- died, didn't you want to ... avenge him? Were you really content to just sit back and wait for fate to intervene?" Naruto vented, feeling the nausea rise in him again. "Were you happy to know that the fuckwit who killed him was alive ... and not – I..."

"Calm down, Naruto. You might not understand, but as I told you before, revenge isn't a solution. It only fosters hate and bitterness. And you don't gain anything in return. Nothing."

The "nothing" had been spoken with perfect audibility in a bitter, hateful tone. Kakashi wasn't an emotional man, but he was not impossible to read either. Looking into his face– the one good eye sadly downcast– Naruto knew that he had struck a chord, possibly even hurt the other man. But he still couldn't help feel the anger rise in him. He wasn't going to pretend that things were better.

"That's easy for you-"

"No, it's not. Naruto, it's not. But I'll tell you about that some other day. Not now."

Before Naruto could say anything in return, the doorbell rang and both of the men were roused from their reverie. Shakily, Naruto got on his legs and opened the door hastily. He tried to hide the tremor in his voice while he spoke.

"So, what is it?"

Sasuke's familiar voice assaulted his ears and Naruto looked up, more than a little surprised. No, this wasn't the first time that Sasuke had come over out of his volition, but this was unexpected.

_And Kakashi's here as well. This is not my day, I'm starting to believe_.

Sasuke eyes met his own in a matter of seconds. A shiver passed through Naruto's spine.

"I...this wasn't...I have Kakashi over."

But Kakashi had risen.

"I'll be leaving, Naruto. You must be Sasuke Uchiha, right? I've heard a lot about you."

Sasuke just nodded and shook hands with Kakashi, who didn't bother hiding his curiosity. He said nothing more to Sasuke, but before he was out of sight, he pulled Naruto out of the doorway and silently uttered: "When you visit next time, bring your Uchiha boy over. I'd like to exchange a word or two with him."

* * *

When the door slammed shut behind Kakashi, Sasuke regarded it with poorly disguised interest. In fact, this was the first time that Sasuke looked curious about something and it quite pleased Naruto. He knew that Kakashi would interest Sasuke, even make him eager to get to know him.

"He's not what I expected him to be," Sasuke muttered, obviously finding it hard to believe that Naruto could be acquainted with someone who wasn't crazy in some ways.

"You really thought he'd be some spastic idiot... Well, don't get me wrong: Kakashi is a pervert, but he's also a damn freakin' genius. He's a fantastic cop."

Sasuke just shrugged. Naruto hadn't expected him to react differently. Sasuke couldn't know who Kakashi was and how admirable his attributes were. Naruto was intent on fulfilling Kakashi's request as soon as possible. Then, Sasuke would understand and hopefully admire the man as much as Naruto did. But he would wait with that.

"I'm glad that Kakashi didn't walk in on us kissing. That would have been my death."

Sasuke didn't grace Naruto with a reply, but took his shoes off and walked into the living room. Naruto was too shocked to say anything intelligible.

_I won't tell Sasuke that he knows we've had sex. Or that we are... whatever we are. I'd be dead._

Naruto moved away from the door and, feeling the weight of the all too hot day, sunk down into the couch. He was drained and really only wanted to close his eyes; he needed some rest. Before he did that, he wanted to know one thing though.

"Say, what did you come for?"

Sasuke didn't answer again, but merely sat down beside Naruto, remaining silent all the time being. Naruto's head whipped in Sasuke's direction and he lazily contemplated the unreadable expression on the other man's face. He had to tell Sasuke.

"I met Itachi again today. He's confirmed everything I've said. He's the one who– you know."

"What do you intend to do about this? About him?"

"I don't know. I don't know, Sasuke. I haven't really... What do you intend to do?"

"My desires and wishes are unchanged. I'll kill him, if it's the last thing I ever do."

"You know I won't stop you."

That was true. It wasn't in Naruto's power to stop Sasuke; he would have been a hypocrite if he ever attempted to do that. As much as Kakashi's words haunted him, he wasn't going to stand in Sasuke's way- that would have been futile, anyway.

"I know."

_At least he trusts me. That's good._

"But I won't let you hurt yourself, either. I'll watch your back."

Sasuke kissed Naruto in return; his unspoken reply rendering everything more meaningful. It was only the ghost of kiss again, but Naruto didn't care. Having Sasuke kiss him was more than awesome. When Sasuke broke the kiss, he used Naruto's silence to say, "You should go to bed, Naruto. You look tired."

Naruto was touched by the comment, less because of Sasuke's rather random words, but because he knew what that they implied.

_He's oddly considerate in his own way. I like how he cares. He doesn't talk, but his actions confirm it_.

Naruto wanted to lighten the mood, not only because he felt like it, but also because they had been both through too much recently. Life shouldn't only be wasted on unhappy things. Naruto firmly believed in that.

"Are you sure you aren't implying that you want to do something in particular?"

"No, idiot. You'd only fall asleep on top of me. Besides, last night was-"

"Not bad, I hope. Because you didn't sound displeased."

"Naruto… You really are a moron."

"You said you wouldn't call me that again."

"And I said that you deserve it. So I won't stop."

Naruto didn't mind their little argument, but, seeing the darkness glaring in from the window, knew that he should go to bed soon. He was tired as hell, too. But there was Sasuke here as well.

"You gonna stay overnight?"

Naruto hoped that Sasuke would stay, seeing that his company diverted him from thinking too much. Besides, he wouldn't mind sharing his bed with him.

"Might as well. I don't see the point in going back to that apartment."

Naruto found himself asking something he had wanted to ask for ages; he really needed to know. The thought of Sasuke's apartment made him cringe, after all. It was so... empty.

"Why is that empty, anyway? Are you really that bland?"

"As if you have the right to talk: look at your own apartment."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my apartment!" Naruto snapped angrily.

_At least, it's not ... like yours_.

Sasuke got up from the coach and threw Naruto, who had meanwhile made himself comfortable by sitting in a cross-legged position, an unquestionably "are you pulling my leg" look. He was surveying Naruto's living room with his critical, overly perfectionist manner. He really seemed to hate the sight of it, which wounded Naruto's pride. He might not have been orderly, but he had taken care to keep it free from cockroaches. Sasuke was just being a stupid coxcomb again.

"As I said the first time I came here, this place is a fucking mess!" Sasuke stated and Naruto wanted to throttle him.

"Then redecorate it, if you're that smart."

_Hell, I'm tempted to say, "Move in with me," but I don't think we're ready for that yet. At least, I'm not ready to die of a heart attack. Sasuke would drive me crazy._

Sasuke paid no heed to that comment. Naruto was starting to become irritated– the idiot should at least answer from time to time.

"I'll go and wash, if you don't mind."

Naruto's eyes widened. Well, this was interesting. Perhaps Sasuke wanted him to...

"You want me to join?" Naruto asked hopefully. He really hoped Sasuke would answer with a "yes".

Naruto was wagging his eyebrows suggestively and there was a leer in his eyes while he scanned Sasuke's body from head to foot. A little number in the shower was the very thing on his mind now...

"No," Sasuke said decisively and closed the door to the bathroom with a loud bang behind him.

_Bastard. Did I really have sex with him last night? He still acts like the same guy who's– this is stupid!_

* * *

It seemed like an eternity to Naruto when Sasuke finally came out of the bathroom. Sasuke was rather obsessive about neatness, but Naruto had come to tolerate that aspect of Sasuke's personality a long time ago– it was irrevocably linked with his reluctance to share his feelings and tendency to leave Naruto out of his life. In retrospect, it was one of the less annoying traits of Sasuke's infuriatingly complex character.

His footsteps were light against the wood of the floor and, unlike Naruto, he didn't make it creak. He even evaded stepping on the stubs of the pencils, which Naruto had somehow forgotten to throw away again. During the whole process of entering the bedroom, Sasuke threw a surreptitious glance around the room, the bed itself, and sighed.

"Why are you wearing my clothes?" Naruto asked because he was honestly curious; he didn't even remember possessing those clothes, but knew that the orange T-shirt couldn't possible be Sasuke's. He never wore colorful things.

"You don't think I'd go to bed in what I wear, do you?"

Naruto decided not to comment on that. Sasuke and his anal retentive habits were nothing new to him. He decided it was best not to interfere. Besides, Sasuke looked good in his clothes. Sasuke had already gone into bed, making him as comfortable as he could – which included taking the entire sheet for himself and using not one, but two cushions for his head.

When Naruto was about to get in, Sasuke stared at him incredulously and a look of fury crossed his features. He pointed at Naruto's garb.

"You can't seriously be telling me that you're going to sleep like that?" Sasuke questioned Naruto through gritted teeth. His hands were holding the sheets protectively against his body. He looked positively murderous when Naruto attempted to come closer.

"Well, yeah. I-"

"No, you don't. Either you change or you can sleep on the floor, for all I care."

"Sasuke..." Naruto started, but catching Sasuke's glare of death, decided to submit to the other's will. "Forget it."

Without pondering too long, he opened his cupboard and grabbed the nearest T-shirt and pair of shorts he could find; he really didn't care what he put on, as long as Sasuke kept his mouth shut about it.

_He doesn't seem to remember that this is my apartment. And my bed. He shouldn't be the one giving orders here. But...I'm too tired to fight over this. Let him have his way_.

"Naruto, switch the light off. You're closer to the door."

_Yet, this feels nice. It's almost... like a relationship. Sort of_.

"You know, you're like a nagging wife. I-"

Sooner than he had expected, Naruto found himself regretting having said that -- landing on the hard floor was a less than pleasurable experience.

"Hey, that was supposed to be a compliment, bastard! That hurt!"

"Well, I don't think much of your compliment," Sasuke replied haughtily. His eyes were narrowed, which made Naruto back away slightly. He had managed to inflame the Uchiha's wrath. Indeed, it seemed to be a very bad idea to compare Sasuke to a woman. Naruto decided to remember this for the future, though he didn't fully understand what had been that wrong about the statement.

It's just my luck to be lumbered with this kind of guy: a bastard with zero sense of humor.

Regardless of that, Naruto climbed back into bed and, attempting to soothe Sasuke's nerves, let his fingers brush over the other's hair. Sasuke stiffened and his face was still averted from Naruto's. He was obviously still indignant. Therefore, Naruto saw himself forced to utter a semi-apology while he continued to play with Sasuke's loose strands of black hair.

"You really shouldn't be that angry. I just meant that I like being with you. That I like this."

Sasuke sighed and relaxed. His face was turned towards Naruto's again and a ghost of a smile briefly appeared on his expression. However, like a badly lit candle, it quickly died, and Sasuke's face was somber again. But his eyes were tender and his voice softened, no longer intent on being witty or sardonic.

"Then find better ways to tell me."

Naruto's eyes widened and, although he was not necessarily gifted with the fine arts of a quick brain, comprehension sunk in. It made him grin briefly, and his lips met Sasuke's. No matter how difficult Sasuke could be, he was also surprisingly uncomplicated and straightforward at times. He didn't waste time on pointless chitchat.

Naruto let his hands slide under Sasuke's shirt, liking how his now-cool hands made the man shiver and gasp. Sasuke had sensitive skin, which pleased Naruto immensely. He also noted that Sasuke moaned out when his neck was licked, kissed or, breathed heavily upon. He loved the sounds Sasuke made and the way the other's hands found themselves tangling in his hair or held onto him. It was all going on fantastically until the phone rang.

"I'll just let it ring. It's too good and early to stop."

He dived in for another kiss, but Sasuke's hand was in the way. Naruto was horrified and very, very confused.

"What?"

"Go pick it up. The sound annoys me."

"Sasuke!" Naruto pleaded, whining like a little boy. He couldn't believe it.

"Now."

No series of insults could change Sasuke's mind and Naruto saw himself forced to pick up the blasted phone. He had never hated Kiba more in his life. Okay, so he was pleased that his former partner had finally gotten out of the hospital and that he could go on walks with his beloved cur again. He was even elated when Kiba talked of Hinata's pregnancy with all the pride and euphoria of a father-to-be, but still. He wished his friend all the good in the world, but couldn't help feeling more than a tad bit annoyed.

He could have waited. He– Oh, damn! Just why did he have to call now?

Naruto was just about to stroll back to his bedroom, intent on continuing his make-out session with Sasuke when the dreaded noise of the phone toiled again.

"Who is it now-" Naruto started and angrily barked into the phone: "What now?"

As soon as Naruto realized who it was, he winced.

"You know, Naruto. That is really not the right way to greet someone," Sakura's voice chastised him. Naruto could envision her furious countenance: the shaking of her fist and her body preparing itself for a fight. He really was an idiot; he had to make up immediately or he wouldn't survive the rest of the week.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. Sorry, it was just...I'mnotaloneheretongiht."

"What?"

_She won't spare me. Right, I'll just say it properly this time_.

"I'm not alone here tonight."

Naruto swore he heard Sakura cackling like a hyena over the phone; it made him feel a little scared. She really was a pervert- more so than Kakashi.

"Elaborate now, or I'll come over immediately."

"Sasuke's staying overnight. Happy now? Can we talk tomorrow, please?"

There was a giggle and a squeal over the phone, along with exclamations of, "Ha, I knew it!" and, "Eureka!" Naruto's temper was rising again, but he told himself to remain calm. Yelling at Sakura-chan was no option. Or he would end up being castrated.

_Which would make a very unhappy man. But, sheesh. She's way too interested._

"Oh, sure. I'm sorry I interrupted. Bye. Have fun."

_She'll hoard me for details next time we meet. That will be fun. Not._

Finally, having disposed of all annoying communications, Naruto was happy that he could focus on Sasuke again; he would make up for the time they had lost. He would make Sasuke scream this time, he would.

Sadly, as luck would have it, Sasuke was fast asleep: he was curled up- like a kitten- with his face hidden partly by his hands, and his breathing was soft. Naruto didn't have the heart to wake him up– Sasuke was way too cute like this.

_Damn it all_, he thought and went to bed, swearing at the Powers To Be and his accursed fate.

* * *

Sasuke's breathing was low and his body felt warm against Naruto's. He was close and, oddly, this was more intimate than sex – it was like the lazy murmur of a fire burning in a hearth, a clock ticking, or birds twittering. Naruto felt safe and encompassed by warmth, although he had no idea why. He had no idea why he felt so close to Sasuke, closer than he had ever before. Perhaps, because having someone's cold feet– Sasuke's cold feet- touching his own was an affirmation.

_Sasuke's really here. It's not a dream_.

It should have been weird; his heart was hammering wildly, but not out of excitement. At least, not the kind of excitement that had hormones going wild or made him frantic with arousal: he had sated his bodily pleasures the night before. And while Naruto couldn't deny that he was very, very eager for a repeat of the performance, this was more than enough at the moment – and none less meaningful.

His heart was constricting painfully in his chest because of emotions he could no longer hold back. He let his one hand – the skin so rough, dry, and the fingernails uneven, uncut – travel over Sasuke's cheek, then his fingers found themselves in the other's black hair. From the get go, Naruto had been obsessed with Sasuke's weird hairstyle: it looked so messy and yet, utterly perfect at the same time. Moreover, it was soft.

Naruto had no idea how to describe this feeling: he felt protected and secure. He hadn't felt like that for ages. In fact, he believed – knew – that he hadn't ever met someone who forced him to fight as much as Sasuke did. Not just for approval, but for his very presence, begging to be acknowledged. Naruto realized that he wanted nothing more, but for Sasuke to accept him– faults and all- like he had accepted and grown to care for him. Naruto liked Sasuke, in spite – or, better said, because of – what he was.

If this was love, then Naruto was fairly certain that he truly loved Sasuke. There was absolutely no point in denying that.

...


	9. Chapter 9

--

This time when Naruto's eyes widened and he woke up, he wasn't alone. No, on the contrary, he could feel the weight of someone's head on his chest and cold feet brushing against his own – it was heavy, somewhat annoying, but it also felt familiar.

Intimate, even. Scratch that, it felt very intimate.

A sense of recollections assailed Naruto and he remembered a series of strange events. Indeed, the past few days had been nothing but a chain of weird circumstances and idiotic incidents; not unlike some cheap plot devices taken from a trashy novel. He also felt that - in some way - the _deux ex machina _principle reigned in his life; too many weird and obscure happenings had come across his way as of late. All of this was just too weird, too convenient.

The fact that Itachi had also killed his parents – deliberately or not - was a painful pill to swallow; he couldn't refrain from shuddering and biting his underlip in a nervous manner. It was too nerve-wracking, too sudden and confusing. Therefore, Naruto banished the memory of that newly acquired intelligence from his brain as soon as it resurfaced: thinking too much was harmful for his braincells.

He preferred remembering that he had – once more – fallen asleep with Sasuke by his side. Strangely, this was becoming a sort of jolly tradition as well, along with meeting Itachi in the most random of places.

_I can't believe it. It's Sasuke – it's Sasuke I'm waking up to. Like this, as if we were really together. _

In some ways, it was mind-numbingly confusing. In other ways, Naruto felt smug – a grin was forming on his face and he had to restrain himself from falling into a fit of giggles (hereby, Naruto noted that his brain must have turned into mush at some point– giggling wasn't something grown- ups did). Or nudging Sasuke awake and confronting him with the fact that he had willingly spent the night with him, even though there had been no sex involved.

However, that wasn't important at all – the not having had sex part, of course. Not everything revolved around getting laid. Unlike what some studies suggested, Naruto didn't think about sex every twenty seconds.

Moreover, Naruto hadn't forgotten his thoughts from the evening before, or what he had finally acknowledged to himself. Naturally, the sex wasn't that important because Naruto knew that it had long since stopped being solely about bedding his partner. Not that it had ever been about sex in the first place.

_I hated Sasuke at first. I really, really hated him. But now I'm here – fuck. Life really works in strange ways. _

Yet, he wasn't going to shove the recent epiphany down Sasuke's throat. Yes, Naruto was – as much as the words chilled him – head over heels for Sasuke, but causing a ruckus about such epiphanies was for lovestruck idiots. He wasn't one of them.

Besides, he knew that Sasuke cared about him as well and that was enough, more than enough. Naruto wasn't going to take more from Sasuke than he could get; he wasn't that selfish. Sasuke had given him more than he would have given anyone else – and Naruto knew that Sasuke wasn't a man of words, but actions. The fact that Sasuke had come over last night, out of his own will, said more than a thousand seemingly heartfelt and often embellished with stinging lies confessions. Naruto wasn't an idiot: he had heard more than enough meaningless, void and deceitful confessions. Mankind is not a compassionate race and many a person will do anything – even lie under the sun – to achieve his or her goals.

_Sasuke is nothing like that. He's not a double-dealing bastard. He's honest. _

Naruto freed himself from Sasuke's semi-embrace and rose from the bed, wincing when one of his feet once again made contact with a broken pencil. A loud groan escaped his lips and, nearly hopping from his bedroom to the bathroom, Naruto thought of Sasuke's remarks about his apartment from the night before.

_Maybe Sasuke has a point, this place is a mess. Damn, he's really got me wrapped around his finger. _

Naruto smiled to himself and shook his head – he was already falling prey to Sasuke's moody and perfectionist habits. Sooner or later, he would become entirely eager to appease Sasuke in whatever way he could; Shikamaru had been right all along. Once you got involved with someone, you just couldn't do your own thing anymore.

_But it also makes you less lonely and ... the place doesn't seem quite as empty anymore. _

_..._

Naruto started to grab the pantry out of the cupboard: he wasn't necessarily an expert cook, but life had forced him to adopt a few skills here or there. Whilst he couldn't create a gourmet menu, Naruto was more than capable of boiling eggs. At least, he didn't have to rely on Sakura for making him lunch. In fact, he was a better cook than she was: Sakura-chan was a disaster in the kitchen.

The sound of the door creaking slightly and light footsteps diverted Naruto's attentions from his musings and the breakfast he was attempting to prepare; he smiled when he saw Sasuke, half asleep and with his hair all tousled. He looked more vulnerable and less pristinely orderly than at the office; it felt nice to know this side of Sasuke's personality because Naruto knew that not everyone got to see him like this. As such, it was an honour, a privilege and another bunch of quirky adjectives.

"Hey – I thought you'd sleep longer," Naruto said gently, for once not shouting in his usual "out from the rooftop" manner. Sasuke looked sleepy and befuddled; Naruto didn't want him to die from shock.

However, instead of going back to bed, Sasuke walked over to Naruto and, casting a suspicious into frying pan, sighed loudly. Following the sigh, he sat down on the rickety chair next to the kitchen table. All the while, Naruto could feel Sasuke's dark eyes observing his every move.

"What?" Naruto asked, feeling the irritation in him rise every passing second. Not even ten minutes had transpired and Sasuke was already complaining or on the verge of doing so.

"You woke me up, idiot," Sasuke nearly snarled, as if he'd been hit on the head with a broomstick; Naruto wasn't surprised though. He had grown to accept that Sasuke was as moody as they came. Also, he couldn't deny the fact that he had been rather loud in getting up. Perhaps, he shouldn't have cussed so much while he had hopped to the bathroom.

_Still, he doesn't have be that bitchy about it. _

"And you fell asleep on me last night. It really put a damper on things," Naruto argued, feeling that he should have been the one complaining, considering how his hopes had been disappointed.

Sasuke shook his head, as if to indicate that Naruto was a hopeless nut case and then his usual fervour returning, voiced his irritation: "It's not my fault that everyone and their mother was calling you last night."

Naruto shared Sasuke's sentiment; it hadn't been his fault, but he didn't like how spiteful Sasuke sounded. Having friends wasn't a bad thing. In fact, he really needed to teach that man some sociability – otherwise Sasuke would wind up killing all of his friends. Or vice versa.

"Sasuke, that's called having friends. Besides, get used to it – you'll be having lots of that if you hang out with me," Naruto replied in a warning tone. Kakashi had told him that honesty was one of the ingredients for a lasting and fruitful relationship. Aside from that, he had the fullest intention of presenting the bastard to his friends, once all of this was over and done with.

"I've never-" Sasuke started, but Naruto quickly interrupted him. He really didn't need to hear Sasuke's protests; he knew these off by heart and it was growing old to hear them repeated over and over again. As good as an old record might be, it is not beneficial to play it too often because then the sound becomes too jarring.

"You will meet my friends. Deal with it," Naruto insisted and dared Sasuke to come up with a counter-attack. Sasuke didn't neglect his opportunity.

"Who says so?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms and fixing Naruto with an annoyed look; however, Naruto wasn't impressed at all.

_His patent "death glare" doesn't scare me anymore. _

"I do. Besides, Kakashi wants to see you," Naruto finally answered.

Sasuke's rose his eyebrows at that, looking more than a little bit surprised. He quickly hid his bafflement though and the surprise was soon replaced by scepticism. In a slightly hesitant tone, he cocked his head sideways and asked:

"Why?"

"He thinks you're interesting," Naruto answered flippantly and went to the sink; he wetted the dishes and let the cold water run through his hands. It felt nice; the cooling water was refreshing to his sticky fingers. Besides, washing the dishes was a good excuse to avoid looking at Sasuke's face. Anything was better than being confronted with saying the truth: Sasuke didn't have to know. Naruto didn't want to die yet -- life was too precious to him.

_I hope he doesn't notice I'm lying. _

Unfortunately, Fortuna wasn't on Naruto's side and he cursed under his breath when he head Sasuke sigh loudly -- this wasn't a good sign. Sasuke only sighed when he was annoyed or suspected Naruto of doing something stupid again.

"Naruto, why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me everything?"

_Fuck. What am I supposed to do?_

Naruto's forehead was sweating profusely and he let his still wet fingers run over it, hoping to calm himself with that action.

"Okay, I might have blurted out that we ... are, um, how to say... more than just friends."

There was a moment of silence while Sasuke processed Naruto's words; it was an uncomfortable and awful silence, like a calm before the storm or the dead, ominous quiescence before you're hung and quartered. Naruto gulped. The surroundings around him were in a conspiracy against him as well; the kitchen, with its oven and cupboards, seemed to close around him. During all this, Sasuke studied Naruto's face closely, analysing his facial features with the precision of an anthropologist.

"I can't believe it. I can't-" Sasuke started and hid his face between his elbows, but then his eyes met Naruto's again – fury and disbelief etched on his handsome face. And his rant wasn't done yet.

"You told him that we had sex? I can believe you – I can't fucking believe you!" Sasuke said through gritted teeth; his voice was icily cold and Naruto took this as a prompt to back away. He had learnt quite a while ago that Sasuke wasn't to be trifled with when he was infuriated; a furious Sasuke was downright lethal.

"Hey, calm down. He guessed it. It's not like I could lie to him. Besides, is it really that bad?," Naruto asked, a little hurt that Sasuke was overreacting like this. "It's not like he's going to tell anyone else. Kakashi is to be trusted."

Sasuke didn't bother to give a reply, but turned away. He was still fuming, but Naruto was also losing his patience; the childishness of his partner's behaviour was grating on his nerves.

"Sasuke-"

"Shut up. Go away."

That did it; Naruto walked towards Sasuke and grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt. Sasuke still didn't look up.

"You said you didn't regret what we did, but I don't know whether I can trust you about that," he nearly growled out and forced Sasuke to look at him.

"Naruto, don't – it's just that -" Sasuke started, but cut off. He was troubled and this incensed Naruto's frustrated anger even more. He thought that they had reached an understanding and now this!

"What do you want say? Spit it out."

"You aren't supposed to tell everyone about us."

"Why not? There's not wrong about us."

_Apart from the fact that we're both too volatile and probably will end up driving each other insane one day. But then again, I'm the only one who understands you, Sasuke. I know I am. _

"Naruto- forget it," Sasuke said wearily and he broke the eye contact with Naruto. He seemed intent to avoid meeting Naruto's intense-desperate gaze, as if it were something that could probe deep into his insides and read his thoughts.

"What are you trying to tell me? Hey ..." Naruto said. His anger was cooling down again and was being replaced by concern.

"Don't forget that Itachi is still running around. I can't pretend that everything is fine and dandy. I'm not you."

Abruptly and suddenly, Naruto let go off Sasuke and moved back to the sink; he wasn't angry, but the comment had hurt, had hit him like a ball thrown against his stomach. Naruto had trouble breathing and screwed his eyes shut for a couple of minutes, trying to cool himself down and avoid knocking something down.

_So, he still doesn't understand. Bastard. _

"I'm not pretending. But I'm also not letting it consume me, Sasuke. Or I'd have slit my wrists years ago."

Sasuke never replied – he was shell-shocked. Something in Naruto's tone – the long-restrained edgy bitterness and sadness – must have overwhelmed him. Naruto didn't refer to his past often because he heartily disliked talking about; it seemed so utterly useless and futile to him. Long before meeting Sasuke, he had figured out that what had happened couldn't be undone: the past was as stubborn and easy to move as a piece of rock.

Although Naruto had tried to take revenge on Orochimaru, he couldn't say that he wanted to kill or punish Itachi for what he had done. No, not at all.

He had no desire to make Itachi pay, even though the reason for that escaped him; he wasn't a psychologist and the subconscious nature of man was a foreign concept for him. To be truthful, Naruto didn't give a damn about Freud or psychology for that matter.

Indeed, if Naruto ever wanted to see Itachi shed blood, it was for having caused Sasuke so much pain, for having taken so much happiness from him. Therefore, he wasn't going to stop Sasuke from killing Itachi either.

...

Naruto decided to take Sasuke to Kakashi right after work; he was glad – which was unusual for him – that they had not been dealing with any severe cases as of late. Apart from Itachi, Naruto could nearly say that things had been running smoothly. Not that being a cop was a cup of a tea, but it wasn't as explosively eventful or fast-paced as films made it out to be. Yes, he had seen his share of blood, but to say that it was a constant feat of horror, bloodshed and mutilated bodies was an overstatement and non-reality compliant.

"I'll have to warn you, Sasuke. He's weird: Kakashi is weird. He's got some quizzical habits," Naruto said while they were a few steps away from the aforementioned's apartment.

Meanwhile, Sasuke just followed Naruto, without bothering to ask anything about Naruto's mentor, guardian and, in many ways idol: Naruto accepted it. He knew that Sasuke wasn't going to ask anything, even if he was interested.

_I guess I'll just let him be – oh fuck, wait. Didn't Kakashi mention that Jirayia was here as well? Damn, just what I needed. Two insane perverts. If Jiraiya meets Sasuke, then I'm pretty certain this will be the end of it all. _

Feeling the need to bash his head against some stonewall, Naruto slapped himself on the forehead and groaned audibly – at least loud enough for Sasuke to halt in his footsteps. He directed a slightly worried look in Naruto's direction.

"What's the matter?"

"Perhaps, we should go. I don't think it's such a good idea – eh. Let's..." Naruto attempted, but his words failed him – which was moronically stupid. Really, he had no idea what the hell was going on with him today.

_It's so stupid. I was never that concerned about someone's opinion like Sasuke's. I hate it. _

So, Naruto decided to simply walk back to the car when he felt someone pull him by the neckline of his shirt. It was Sasuke; he was being pulled back, like a damned kid and it angered him more than anything else could have done. Naruto immediately freed himself from the grasp and fixed Sasuke with an angry glare. He wasn't a marionette nor Sasuke's toy: no one had the right to just manhandle him like that.

"What the hell?" Naruto yelled when he noted that Sasuke was staring – obviously transfixed by his behaviour. This infuriated Naruto even more – he was starting to feel like a school kid being mocked by his principal.

"You dragged me all the way here and now you're shitting your pants. You're really a moron."

_No, I'd be a moron if I dragged you into Kakashi's apartment right now. _

"I'm not...look, it's not a good idea! You might hate me forever!" Naruto said – he hoped Sasuke would catch the drift. He wasn't going to beg him to understand.

Sasuke scowled and, then, shook his head. A smile of mild amusement came over his usually placid features. He seemed to be very, very entertained – too much for Naruto's tastes.

"I don't hate you. And nothing could worsen the opinion I have of you already."

"What's that supposed to mean again?" Naruto growled, not liking the implications at all. Was Sasuke implying that he was a good for nothing idiot? How dare he!

"Whatever, Naruto. Come on now."

"No."

"Come on! Stop wasting my time, moron!"

Naruto felt that they could have gone at it for days – arguing back and forth, trying to outsmart the other desperately. But they were – unfortunately – interrupted.

"Why, just like a married couple," someone commented disinterestedly.

Naruto was about to inquire _who the fuck dared to interfere_ when he realised it was Kakashi himself. From the looks of it, he had been observing their little argument for a couple of minutes and the merriment was evident in his twinkling eye and the smile showing on his face. He looked like someone who had been exposed to the funniest farce ever – something like: "The nagging wife and her cowardly husband". Or better said, the nagging husband and his cowardly significant other. Sasuke was too ungraceful and violent to be anything like a woman.

Nonetheless, Naruto wasn't all too pleased.

_How glad I'm such a source of pleasure and enjoyment to him. Idiot. _

"You don't have to worry about Jiraiya, Naruto. He's gone back to grovel his wife for forgiveness," Kakashi said, not bothering to wait for Naruto's outburst and only pausing to acknowledge Sasuke's presence with a brief wave of his hand. "He's finally figured out that talking about other women's chest sizes isn't good for your matrimonial status."

"Matrimonial-what?" Naruto sputtered out, totally forgetting what he had been so angry about. He wasn't big on words and hated it when Kakashi showed off; not everyone was big on literature or dictionaries. Least of all, Naruto.

"He means marriage, idiot," Sasuke muttered and Naruto looked at him briefly; he had nearly forgotten the other's existence and felt his his indignation flare up even more. Really, this was starting to become more than aggravating: he was a sheep surrounded by a crazy, evil pack of wolves.

_Why they're ganging up on me. _

"Well, I see that – in comparison to what you've usually brought home, your friend here is, at least halfway intelligent," Kakashi remarked coolly and folded his arms. He no longer regarded Sasuke with contempt, but there was a a spark of something else there as well – amusement, curiosity and interest.

Naruto had the rising urge to shoot himself dead or to render himself invisible. It would have been nice if by using some magical words of incantation, he could have just disappeared and dissolved into mid-air – become one with the particles floating about in the universe. Because – seriously – anything was better than what was going to come next: Kakashi was going to skin him alive.

"This is really not the best time to refer to ... um, my former experiences."

It was too cruel; Naruto could feel Sasuke's eyes on his frame and he started to feel embarrassed. He didn't want Sasuke to know everything about him; he hadn't always done things that one could be proud of.

"Why, you should let Sasuke know that you're extremely well-versed in bedding idiots. Not everyone can pride themselves upon that."

"Well, at least I don't-"

_Console my broken heart over Icha Icha Come or whatever it is you read. _

Naruto couldn't finish the sentence, as much as his hurt pride encouraged – compelled – him do so: it would have been unjust and uncalled for. Kakashi had been in jest, even though his idea of a joke was cruelly obscene. Yet, he had always been like this and Naruto's wounded ego just had to deal with it – and there wasn't anything he could hide from Sasuke anyway; he had seen the best and worse of him already.

_'Sides, Sasuke knows I'm serious about him. _

Kakashi wasn't that willing to give up yet and scooting up closer to Naruto, asked in a curious tone:

"What is you wanted to say?"

Naruto gulped; he couldn't let his feathers be ruffled now or he would really spill out his thoughts. Damn, he thought, he hated how he let himself be influenced by Kakashi and his taunts.

"Nothing."

"Come on in then. I can't have people standing like fools in front of my door all day."

Sasuke had remained quiet during the exchange and it was only when he stepped into Kakashi's apartment that he spoke – even if it was only to thank Kakashi for the invitation. Naruto, at least, felt relieved that he hadn't been rendered mute.

Kakashi's apartment was in many aspects just like Sasuke's – a vast space of nothing; it had always been like this. Even when Naruto had lived with him under the same roof. With the exception of his room, Kakashi had never bothered to fill his apartment with something like liveliness – it had remained bare.

If Sasuke was shocked about the state of the apartment, he didn't say anything. Then again, there wasn't anything that the bastard could say – he lived in the same empty, tomb-like shell of what was supposed to be a home.

Before Naruto could settle himself onto the coach, he was grabbed by Kakashi and could only observe Sasuke's nearly indiscernible look of surprise forming on his face. Naruto could only stammer dumbly.

"What-what's the meaning of this?" he asked furiously while Kakashi kept motioning him towards the door; this was unbelievable.

"Naruto, go buy ice cream."

"Why? I don't want no damned ice-cream."

_Besides, Sasuke hates sweets. _

"Just do it. I want to talk with Sasuke in private."

Understanding dawned upon Naruto, but he was still unwilling to simply leave – something told him that whatever Kakashi was planning couldn't be pleasant.

"I don't know. I don't trust you alone with him. You could traumatise him."

"Look, do it. Or I'll share more anecdotes about your youth. And you know how good my memory is."

Kakashi smiled sweetly and Naruto's hair would have turned grey, if spontaneous de-colouring out of shock would have been possible. He knew Kakashi well enough to understand that this sort of behaviour coming from him meant nothing good: it was the calm before the storm, so to speak. Although he wasn't quite as physically expressive as Sakura, Kakashi was dangerous in his own way – he could hurt people right there where it mattered the most.

"Kakashi – just don't ..."

"I know what I'm doing. And I know more than you think I do, Naruto. You're not the only cop here. I know things Like the fact," and here he whispered," that Sasuke's brother is quite an interesting person. For you too, that is."

Naruto shuddered; a silent fear of his was confirmed. Although the thought had been nagging him for a while, he couldn't believe it and was about to inquire further when he was pushed even further outside. Kakashi was restless to throw him out.

"Go and take as long as you want. It might take a while. And we'll talk about this some other time. But now – go."

"Kakashi wait-"

The door was slammed right in his face.

"Well, when it comes to being nice and sociable, he's a lot like Sasuke."

...

It was state of semi-blindness in which Naruto found himself walking through the streets, although he couldn't blame the scorching heat or an abysmal fog for this condition. The weather, unlike the day before, was nice and it was warm; the sky was a clear blue and the sun shone pleasantly, enhancing everything with its smile. In fact, the day couldn't have been any cheesier – it was like one of those picture perfect days shown in commercials and films.

Yet again, Naruto didn't pay any heed to the weather; he cared as little for that it as he cared about the Great Chain of Being. In short, he really didn't give a damn: he was too preoccupied to find out what the hell Kakashi was planning. And why he had kept silent.

_He knows that Itachi killed my parents. And he must have known it for a while. Right. He was the one investigating my parents' death..._

Naruto should have known from the start; he really was oblivious in some ways.

He didn't feel any betrayal though. Naruto was smart enough to realise why the other man had kept silent, why he hadn't shared his information with him. Considering how he had reacted to Orochimaru, Naruto doubted that he wouldn't have tried to kill Itachi back then – and Kakashi had known that as well. He hadn't wanted Naruto to get involved with people such as Itachi.

_He wanted to protect me. He still does. Kakashi has only wanted to protect me all these years. I can't hate him for that. _

When he stumbled against a body again – someone's shoulder – he was hardly surprised when a familiar face smiled down at him pleasantly.

"So we meet again, Naruto-kun."

Naruto didn't even matter to ask how, why or what Itachi was doing here – their meetings had become to much of a habit. Indeed, Naruto had even grown to like them because Itachi was amusing in himself. Unlike some people, he didn't brush Naruto off as hopeless or mock him relentlessly. Although it seemed wrong, Naruto even found himself looking forward to hearing Itachi speak; there was something charming about him, even sympathetic. As bizarre as it was, Naruto couldn't help himself liking the man just a little bit.

_In another lifetime, perhaps, we might have been friends. Or at least, I'd have looked up to you. _

"I'm wondering why do you actually stalk me, us...?" Naruto asked, although he already knew some of the truth. But he couldn't help wanting to know more.

"I watch some things like a hawk, if that's what you're saying. But I wouldn't call it stalking."

"You know that Sasuke wants to kill, regardless of anything?"

Itachi's gaze remained nonplussed: he wasn't hearing anything new. And it hadn't really been a question from Naruto's side, more like a statement. He had just wanted to see how Itachi reacted to that.

"Don't you want the same? To kill me?"

"No. Because it wouldn't change anything," Naruto said resolutely. He meant every word.

_It only fosters hate and bitterness. You gain nothing. Nothing. _

Itachi smiled again; the smile was slightly creepy because it didn't fit the picture of a murderer. It was gentle and nearly timid, but at the same time, it wasn't really a smile at all. His eyes were too sad and Naruto realised what he should have grasped a long time ago – Itachi's eyes had always been sad.

"I wish Sasuke would have realised the same years ago."

"Not everyone is the same."

Itachi nodded and the sad look appeared on his face again.

"I'll end all of this soon. I just wanted to warn you about this beforehand."

"Please don't talk in riddles again. Just come out with your intentions."

Not that Naruto needed it: he knew what Itachi was implying and it made him feel cold all of a sudden. The solemnity of Itachi's features and his willingness to talk about it were more than enough of a hint. He wanted to die -- plain and simple. He wanted to die by Sasuke's hands.

Naruto couldn't help trembling: he couldn't understand how Itachi's mind worked. His willingness to die was terrifying.

"If you really mean to free Sasuke from his pain, do you think this will help? He'll only be haunted by you, over and over again."

"That's what you're here for, aren't you? You'll be there to keep him from drowning in old memories."

Naruto shook his head; Itachi was confusing all right – even more so than Kakashi.

"How can you trust me that much?"

Itachi smiled again – a real smile this time. And even before Itachi spoke, Naruto understood why Itachi had been watching him; it was creepy, but at the same time it made sense.

_He's the one who brought us together. He's ... how crazy. I'd call him a matchmaker, but that's ... just too freaky._

"Because you're the one who never goes back on his word, aren't you?"

"Well, yes. I won't let Sasuke, if that's what you mean."

"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Goodbye, Naruto-kun."

And with that Itachi slipped away like a shadow, leaving Naruto alone once again.

...

Sasuke was silent on the way home and it was starting to irritate Naruto; he had been through too much secrecy recently. First of all, Kakashi had had the audacity to reveal that he had known all along and now Sasuke was being mysterious as well – it was vexing. Then again, Sasuke had never revealed anything to Naruto.

_Hadn't I met Itachi, hadn't he approached me, I'd have never known. And damn Kakashi for interfering in my and Sasuke's affairs. At least, we're home now. _

In his anger, Naruto didn't even realise that he had referred to his own apartment as Sasuke's home as well. Indeed, he had grown so used to the other's presence that it had become natural -- not awkward, disturbing or anything of the sort. Sasuke had become fully integrated into Naruto's life and, in many ways, this was fine. Perfectly so.

_I just wish he wouldn't keep pushing me away. _

It had grown dark; the sickly green of the moonlight fell intently on his apartment and Sasuke's frame; the other man was already seated and motioned Naruto to do the same.

"What did he tell you Sasuke? I mean, come on: don't torture me any longer," Naruto begged, not caring whether he sounded pathetic. Sasuke wasn't someone he was going to hide his emotions from; they both knew each other too well by now.

"He didn't say much," Sasuke responded and regarded Naruto with a "don't ask any more pesky questions". Naruto sighed and clenched his fist: Sasuke was, yet again, making things complex.

_Why, that's what I expected. Honestly. How stupid does the bastard think I am?_

"I don't believe you-"

Sasuke silenced Naruto by placing a finger against his lips; his eyes were pleading and he looked more anxious than usual. He didn't want to talk – that was more than evident. And slowly, Naruto found his keen desire to know the truth fade. Perhaps, it wasn't that important, after all. It could just as well be that he was exaggerating. And, mayhap, it was something between Kakashi and Sasuke.

"He really cares about you, Naruto," Sasuke finally said, breaking the silence that had lasted for a couple of minutes.

"I know that. He might have a strange way of showing it, but I know he does."

"He's an interesting man."

_He's changing the topic. Oh well. _

"He used to be a student of my father's. He really looked up to my Dad. I sometimes think it was more than just admiration on his part, but whatever the case, when my parents died, Kakashi decided to take care of me."

Naruto smiled briefly, remembering how his life with Kakashi had been – and how the man still managed to maintain such a strong presence in his life.

"You know, I became a cop because of Kakashi, not my father. I wanted to be a cop like Kakashi."

Sasuke only nodded and observed Naruto's face – there was something akin lurking to compassion on his face. When he finally spoke, he sounded anxious.

"He knew that ... about Itachi, I mean, he knew-"

"Kakashi told me today. He probably didn't tell me because he wanted – well, you know how I am," Naruto said, interrupting Sasuke's hesitant confession.

_No, he probably doesn't. Not entirely. And he shouldn't. Anger isn't something you should be proud of. _

"Naruto..."

"I don't want to talk about this. I'm fine with what happened. I mean, even if he knew it doesn't mean a thing. "

_Because he cared. I can't be angry because Kakashi meant it for my own good. And my parents are dead, gone. Hurting Orochimaru didn't bring them back and Itachi won't bring them back either. _

Sasuke silenced Naruto with a kiss, only that this time it wasn't a soft one. Sasuke's lips were hungrily grazing over his own, his body was pressed flush against Naruto's and he thought he could nearly hear the other's heartbeat hammering in his chest. This was exciting, stimulating and Naruto was out of breath when Sasuke pulled away; he was breathing heavily as well.

Naruto had to smile: Sasuke's aggressiveness was more than intriguing – it was arousing. Naruto had to restrain himself from not tackling Sasuke and taking him right there, either on the sofa or the floor. However, he doubted that Sasuke would appreciate that, so he only found himself saying:

"You've become so good at doing this. I really should be proud-"

Sasuke lips were on his again, effectively silencing whatever comeback he had been planning; Naruto had to admit to himself that the Uchiha had found the perfect method to keep him from saying stupid things. It was much better than Sakura's punches, anyhow.

"Shut up, idiot," Sasuke said hoarsely after he had broken the kiss. "Come on – let's take this some place else."

"I told you not to call me that – and don't order me around."

However, even though he said that, Naruto still allowed Sasuke to lead him into the bedroom. In some way, being ordered around did have its perks.

"Then prove me otherwise. Show me that you're not an idiot."

That was a challenge – one that it was impossible to say "nay" to.

Naruto grinned and pulled Sasuke into another kiss, enjoying how he could make Sasuke moan into it. He really didn't mind the fact that Sasuke was pushing him against the bed now, nor that he had relatively little control over this. He had always pegged Sasuke for a non-submissive type. And he was glad to have his opinion affirmed. Sasuke was straddling him and he could feel the other man's erection against his own – it felt hot, but they were both still clothed.

There were way too many clothes, getting in the way of everything and Sasuke seemed impatient to do whatever he had in mind. Naruto was running high on desire and he wasn't going to let any stupid telephone calls get into his way now. He rose to capture Sasuke's lips into a kiss again, but a pair of strong hands pushed him down again. Naruto, looking up at Sasuke's serious face, couldn't refrain himself from smirking and shaking his head. He had always known that Sasuke was aggressive and bossy, but this was the very height of heights – and Naruto liked it.

"So, I guess you want to be on top, heh?"

"Just shut up; don't say anything or you'll ruin it."

Naruto didn't mind at all. Sex was sex: whatever position he did it in was about as important as the pair of socks he picked to wear in the morning. Not that he was into everything, mind you. Still, he wasn't the type to protest just because Sasuke was showing signs of being more assertive.

He just hadn't thought that Sasuke would be that kinky or willing to try out new things after only having been with him once.

Sasuke undressed and Naruto grasped the fact that he should do so too; however, he felt awkward. Sasuke was watching his every move and Naruto felt self-conscious all of a sudden. Why was Sasuke being that direct? It wasn't like him. Then again, in some ways, it was very much like him.

Naruto gave up: he was confused, so he just focused on undressing. But he cursed when he realised one thing.

"Sasuke, I don' t have any lube here either – I didn't think we'd – fuck."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I've thought of that."

He was more than surprised when he saw Sasuke pulling out lube from his discarded jeans' pockets. Obviously, he had organised everything in advance: Naruto wasn't sure whether he was supposed to be relieved or feel ashamed – and what shocked him more was that Sasuke prepared himself. He obviously didn't have the patience to wait for Naruto.

_He's only done this once, but he already has more foresight than I do. _

Sasuke didn't slide down his length effortlessly: his motions were cautious and, even all the preparation, didn't keep Sasuke from hissing out – he still wasn't used to doing this. Probably, in a way Sasuke would never be. For someone as repressed and introverted, even speaking more than a syllable was a huge thing.

He had also done this too quickly, been to hectic and Naruto regretted that he had allowed Sasuke to take control. He was still too inexperienced; Naruto hated the thought of this being uncomfortable to Sasuke. Besides, it was too tempting.

"Maybe we should stop. This is -"

"No," Sasuke said determinedly and it was the resolution in his voice that washed away Naruto's anxieties.

The initial discomfort was still there, but Naruto was glad that he didn't seem to be in any pain. However, he felt that, if Sasuke was in any pain, he would not admit to it out loud. Sasuke was that kind of a stubborn idiot. Yet, even though he was stubborn, peevish and other things, Naruto couldn't avoid marvelling how beautiful the other man was. Especially like this.

"You feel way-"

"Don't talk like that. I don't like it."

"But you – damn you do feel good," Naruto repeated again, not caring about the other man's opinion on the subject.

Sasuke didn't bother to say anything in response, but started to move slowly – up and down, down and up – until he built up a rhythm. He seemed to enjoy it – his own arousal was proof enough and he was pressing his lips tightly against each other. Then Sasuke's breath fastened and he start to pant; he would start moaning soon and Naruto knew that this would be enough to send him over the edge. He hadn't forgotten how sexy Sasuke's moans were – his low voice sounded incredibly seductive.

But Naruto was feeling frustrated: the slow pace was driving him mad and, each time he tried to thrust his own hips upwards, Sasuke held him back. For whatever reason, he wanted to prolong this needlessly, but Naruto couldn't take it anymore; he had been deprived of doing this for too long.

_I'll have to take the matter into my own hands. _

Before Sasuke could even register what was going on, he was flipped over; the bed creaked loudly at the sudden change in position.

"What-"

Naruto silenced him with a kiss – he thrust his tongue into Sasuke's mouth – and was rewarded with an equally heated response. He entered Sasuke quickly and, this time, didn't stop until he was buried deep inside. Sasuke broke the kiss, gasped and arched upwards – his legs wrapped around Naruto's and his hands held on to tightly. His fingernails were digging deeply into Naruto's skin, which made him feel glad that Sasuke didn't have long fingernails. Otherwise, the sex might have been rendered to a quite uncomfortable feat.

"You -" he whispered a little angrily into Naruto's ear. Naruto had to restrain himself from chuckling; he had ruined Sasuke's little seduction number, but it wasn't like he didn't plan to make up for it.

"Shh, I'll make this worth it," he said and placed a gentle kiss on Sasuke's sweat-glistened forehead; the dark hair stuck to the skin and Naruto could see the flush on Sasuke's usually pale cheeks.

_He's perfect – how unfair. But then again – good. Because he's mine. _

Naruto started to move, thrusting rather roughly and frantically into Sasuke – who wasn't minding it all. His moans were definitely loud enough and his hips met Naruto's movements each and every time. Naruto enjoyed that – enjoyed that Sasuke wasn't just being a passive pushover, but urged him on. Naruto lost himself in the sounds of "more, harder deeper" and the feel of being inside, connected with the man he had disliked so much at first. Had someone told him that he would be with Sasuke like this back on the train, he would have laughed.

But now, he felt that this was right -- more than right.

...

"Damn, this was good," Naruto muttered contentedly, running his hand through Sasuke's hair – they were face to face and the only thing covering them was a blanket.

"You should have let me finish," Sasuke answered in a mockingly peevish tone; however, he looked content, sated, and definitely more peaceful than he had in the past few weeks. Naruto liked him like this; Sasuke looked infinitely better when he wasn't scowling.

"Oh come on, you know you liked it," Naruto replied jokingly and rubbed his nose against Sasuke's.

"Yes, idiot, I did. But you're – forget it."

"Unpredictable?" Naruto suggested.

"Something like that."

"You're that yourself, Sasuke. Very, very unpredictable."

Sasuke just furrowed his eyebrows; however, there was glint of playfulness in his eyes. Evidently, he liked being complimented and Naruto noticing that, felt compelled to tease him a little bit. He didn't want Sasuke to develop too big of an ego.

"Well, unless you're being that bastardly stupid. You're just no fun- apart from the sex and the fighting," Naruto said jokingly, forgetting that Sasuke had about as much sense of humour as a piece of rock. As a consequence, he was more than surprised when Sasuke turned away from him.

"Sasuke, I didn't mean- oh man."

He let his hands wander through Sasuke's exposed back, rubbing it awkwardly. He wanted Sasuke to just turn around again, which he eventually did – but the anger was still there.

_Shit. I didn't say anything that bad, did I?_

"Sasuke, I really didn't-"

"Naruto, do me a favour and just hold your tongue."

"I was only joking, Sasuke. You don't have to be that sensitive."

Naruto placed a quick and chaste kiss against Sasuke's lips and then, in a serious tone said:

"I like you the way you are, Sasuke. I really like-"

A finger silenced him. Sasuke looked imploring and desperate – nearly unhappy.

"I'll kill Itachi in the morning."

Naruto sat up; the shock grappling him was that intense. He had expected it, but not that soon.

"Sasuke-why are you telling me this?"

"Kakashi told me to be honest with you."

"And you don't think I'll try to stop you?" Naruto asked, feeling hurt – if it hadn't been for Kakashi, he would have known nothing of this. Even Itachi couldn't have prepared him for it.

_He would have just left in the morning._

"You can't stop me," Sasuke said and, now sitting up as well, he leaned his head against Naruto's shoulders; the brush of his hair against Naruto's skin made the other shiver. "Please don't try to stop me."

"I already told you I wouldn't."

"No, but I don't want you interfering at all," Sasuke replied, his face still buried in the other's shoulder.

"You know I can't promise you that."

Sasuke now turned to face Naruto and there was indignation in his eyes – he opened his mouth to speak, but he never got the chance. Naruto was quicker.

"You can't expect me to sit back contentedly and not be worried about you, asshole. That's not the way this works!"

"And I don't want to lose you. Is that so hard for you to grasp, Naruto?"

"Sasuke..."

Before he could finish, Sasuke was embracing him: his arms were around Naruto's neck and Sasuke felt warm, familiar. But the contact was quickly broken again.

"I shouldn't have let you that close, but I did. And I don't want to regret it. Don't make me re -"

Naruto silenced Sasuke by caressing his face, allowing his fingers to become entwined in Sasuke's thick strands of black hair.

"I won't -- I won't make you regret it. I promise I won't."

...

Naruto had tried his best not to fall asleep, but his body had been weaker than his determined will. In the aftermath of sex and post-coital bliss, Naruto found idle sleep encompassing and murmuring around him – it was like a fog, impenetrable, all consuming and impossible to escape. Consequently, before the clock struck midnight, Naruto was already dozing off; the numbness and meaningless confusion of a dreamless sleep sunk its proverbial claws into his brain. Naruto knew nothing, heard nothing and - most of all - could do nothing.

He was powerless against the odds.

Therefore, when Naruto woke up, Sasuke was already gone. There was nothing but an empty space beside him, and all his blinking and rubbing his eyes didn't change that fact. Sasuke was was really gone, had seemingly evaporated into mid-air.

_Damn him, _Naruto thought and fisted his fingers furiously into the bedsheets.

Sasuke had not been pulling his leg last night. Sasuke, being the bastardly and stubborn idiot he was, had kept his promise.

"Fuck this," Naruto yelled, cursing when his fist connected with the wall. He shouldn't have been this desperately angry, but he was – in every sense of the word. However, as much as Naruto wanted to crash, break or just rip something into pieces, he knew he couldn't waste time. This was an all or nothing situation.

He wouldn't go to work today.

Shikamaru could applaud himself on observing that Naruto was going to be – yet again -- late But he had an excuse. He hoped Tsunade would forgive him, but he felt that she wouldn't be too angry at him. She was probably too busy making Jiraiya's life hell (and Jiraiya was probably enjoying every minute of it).

He hoped that it wasn't too late – that he would find Sasuke before the inevitable happened. No, he had no intention of stopping him, but he would not leave Sasuke alone either. Heaven knew what would happen if Sasuke was left alone with Itachi; he just had to be there. Even if his desire to be so was grounded in selfishness, Naruto didn't want to lose Sasuke.

...

In some ways, the reason why he was here again – in this dim, shoddy and urine-smelling building – was pure providence or just some last-minute guessing. Like a fatal siren's call, he had rushed to this place as quickly as he could; Naruto had only relied on his gut instinct.

There wasn't anything else he could have done. Naruto had no other clue other than this; anything else just wouldn't have made sense.

_Most of the things lately haven't made much sense. And in some ways, the Uchihas are rather predictable. Both of them, I must say. _

His heart didn't skip a beat this time and he was oddly quiet. At least, he didn't tremble nor were his teeth clattering against one another – he wasn't making any unnecessary noise. Naruto was sweating profusely, however, and his throat felt dryer than usual. He was definitely tense.

Each step he took made his stomach churn; he also felt that the pain in his throat – the dryness – increased with every lowering of his foothold; he felt like slowly descending into a catacomb.

Naruto was resolved not to fall into panic until he figured out what was going on; rushing headlong into action wouldn't have been of help to anyone. In this aspect, he felt that he was slightly smarter than Sasuke had been.

_At least, I'm not going to dash in before I know what's going on. _

Naruto walking silently down the stairs, though his gut instinct prompted him to be faster; however, he didn't want to screw up things. He had to be careful. The old wooden stairs creaked under his weight; the smell of nicotine, coming from cigarette butts probably scattered in every little corner, pervaded like a cloud over the place. Naruto felt like retching – the smell was that bad.

Although the walking down the stairs to reaching the landing hadn't taken more than five minutes, it felt like ages to Naruto. When he was finally downstairs, he could no longer calm himself and felt how his heart pounded against his chest, like a machinery that was about to break, but still twisted and turned dramatically before collapsing – and burning out.

Naruto could hear voices – familiar voices – vibrating and being thrown from wall to wall; sounds were carried easily in this bleak house. It was ghastly; Naruto was reminded of old castles and things moving in accordance with thunder. He thought he heard screams echoing in the darkness and the sounds of shackles clanging against stone. It was utter rubbish, of course - nothing, but the product of an agitated brain.

_That does it. I should have never read "The Fall of The House of Usher". _

He moved slowly to the door, glad that it wasn't really dark. It wasn't dark at all in fact – there was a sickly greenish light everywhere. But Naruto didn't pause to think about the light too long: he was close to that room again, where Sasuke had failed to kill his brother the last time. And he was greeted with an awful spectacle.

Sasuke with hatred, obsessive determination and sheer recklessness showing on his features was facing Itachi in an eerily similar position again. They were face to face and Sasuke was pointing a gun at his brother, but he wasn't shaking this time. On the contrary, he was quiet, cool and had perfect control over his body. Nevertheless, Naruto knew it was a façade; it was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt at hiding his desperation.

Besides, Sasuke's heavy breathing and the tenseness of his facial features revealed everything: he was scared, stiff scared.

All of a sudden, the sound of a gun resounded and a body fell. When it connected with the ground, there was a bone-crushing sound and Naruto winced. He knew exactly well who it was.

Naruto stepped into the doorway and Sasuke's head turned into his direction immediately; he was mortified when he realised it was Naruto.

"Why are you ...?"

"I couldn't leave you alone."

Sasuke didn't dare to move, but Naruto knelt down next to the bleeding body: Itachi wasn't dead yet, but life was slowly draining away from him. It would only be a matter of minutes, only a matter of a few moments until Itachi stopped breathing forever. He was breathing quickly and Naruto could see how Itachi's hands shook – the pain had to be unbearable. But he was taking it well, not a sound of protest spilled from Itachi's lips. He was as calm and quiet as a person close to biting the dust could be – in fact, Itachi conveyed a dignity that only few people possessed.

There was a flash of recognition in Itachi's eyes when he saw Naruto and that same sad smile appeared on his face – but there was something else there as well. Perhaps, it was gratefulness, deep-saddled regret and relief mixed in one – Naruto had no idea. He would never know.

He could see Itachi's lips trying to say something, but the effort was too much. So, Naruto did the only thing that crossed his mind and took hold of Itachi's hand, pressing it tightly. He wasn't inhumane – he wasn't going to reject Itachi this last source of comfort. Whatever he had done was insignificant at that moment and the last thing Naruto felt was happiness over Itachi's pain. So, he kept on holding until Itachi's grip grew loose.

He knew that Sasuke couldn't see what he was doing, had been doing; the younger Uchiha was too shocked, to immersed in his own overwhelming grief to have any idea what was going on. It was better this way.

"He's dead, Sasuke. He's dead," Naruto said quietly, not sure what he was feeling or thinking at the moment. He only knew with perfect clarity that some things had finally come to an end.

_You're finally free._

Sasuke moved away from the wall and Naruto heard him drop to his knees; the sound of his knees falling to the ground was like a harsh slap. He was beside Naruto now and the sound of his hard, frantic breathing broke the other man from his own shock. Naruto's eyes turned to Sasuke's and he instantly regretted having done so. Sometimes it's better not to see raw pain etched onto someone's features.

Sasuke's eyes were wide, his face had paled to the point of making him look like a corpse and he was trembling; he was shuddering more than a leaf, it was unstoppable.

Naruto did the only thing he could do – there wasn't anything else he could have offered. He allowed Sasuke to lean against him and cry; the sobs racking through Sasuke's body were harsh and vindictively desperate. Not feminine, cute or beautiful: pain isn't beautiful and anyone fancying a contorted face blotted with tears heartbreakingly gorgeous is an idiot.

Sasuke had quite possibly not cried for years and to see him break down like that was awful. His body shook with the frenzy of his emotions, his throat was getting raw and soon the noise subsided, followed by loud, frantic breathing. But Sasuke was holding onto Naruto. He didn't let go for one instant, as if the other man was his only anchor – the only thing that kept him from slipping away into the darkness.

...

Naruto couldn't remember what had happened after that; there had been sirens, police cars droning and someone asking him question after question. Yet, in the aftermath of the catastrophe, there was only numbness and the noises around Naruto had faded in the background, become transient fluttering echoes of nothing – as quickly as they appeared, they went again. He could only remember Sasuke's livid face and how he hadn't been able to tear his eyes from Itachi's body.

And he still understood so little, knew so little about Itachi.

Naruto felt he would never understand what had really happened in that building or why Itachi had been the way he had been – Itachi had been an enigma to him. In some ways, he felt that Itachi would always remain exactly that to him.

...

"Are you going to leave now, Sasuke?" Naruto asked tentatively, trying to fight back the anxiety in his voice. It didn't work: he sounded hoarse and there was a tremor in his tone.

"I have go back to Kyoto in order to get some business done."

Sasuke's tone was hesitant and Naruto knew that it involved Itachi; Sasuke still hadn't coped with the fact that his brother was dead, gone and would never come back again. Naruto wasn't naïve or foolish enough to believe that by having Itachi dead, things were going to miraculously become better. In many ways, Sasuke would never be entirely "free" from the ghosts of his past.

_The pain will never go. Whether he's dead or not. _

"That's not what I was asking. You know that as well as I do."

"What do you want from me?" Sasuke asked bluntly, but there was no cruelty behind the question. He was just doing what he always did – he wanted Naruto to be honest and quit skipping around the bush.

"I want you to be my partner."

"I already am," Sasuke confirmed. The ease with which he said it rendered Naruto hopeful: it was a far cry from the protests Sasuke had originally voiced against him.

"No, I want you to be my partner forever."

Sasuke nodded and the wind breezed through his hair. He understood, better than Naruto could have ever hoped him to understand. He didn't reply though, but grabbed Naruto's hand – his hand was cold against Naruto's warm one.

"And I want you to come with me. To Kyoto, that is."

Naruto's eyes shot to Sasuke's face and he found himself digesting the words that pierced him like an arrow shooting through his heart. He knew this wasn't a confession of love, but he had never expected one. Not before and he wasn't sure whether he should ever expect one. Sasuke didn't operate like that and, as annoying as it was, he would just have to accept it. Not that there wasn't any hope - wasn't there this saying that patience is a virtue? Considering that, Naruto was willing to wait as long as he had to.

Besides, hearing Sasuke say something like this – to not have him trying to distance himself – was the best he could have hoped for at the moment. As cliché as it sounded, it was a beginning.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

That was enough, Naruto decided. More than enough. No, this wasn't going to be easy – it would never be easy. He would have been an unusually idiotic cretin to have believed that. Especially right now. Both him and Sasuke had a crapload of issues to work out and things wouldn't run smoothly. Again, Naruto wasn't a fool, he knew that. And yet, he wasn't going to bow down to the sadness looming over them either – he wasn't going to submit to depression. As far as he was concerned, destiny could screw itself – he wasn't going to be its victim.

He was going to work towards making both Sasuke and himself happy, whatever the cost.

"Naruto, don't think too much," Sasuke's voice interrupted him. Naruto turned to look at him and was shocked to see a small smile gracing his features. It wasn't a full-blown smile, but it wasn't the ghost of one either.

"What?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"You've been staring like an idiot down the flowing river for minutes. Come on, let's go. It's freezing."

Sasuke's hand was tugging at his jacket. Naruto wasn't sure whether he liked it: Sasuke was becoming too bossy for his tastes and Naruto had always considered himself to be independent. He wasn't entirely willing to change that yet.

"Don't order me around. I'm not the one who moans like a woman."

"Shut up, idiot," Sasuke replied; he was losing his patience already. The allusion of him being feminine didn't suit well with him. Naruto was surprised that he hadn't been kicked in the shins.

"But it's true!"

Sasuke didn't answer, but instead grabbed Naruto by the hand and pulled him away from the bridge, muttering something underneath his breath about stubborn idiots all the while. And Naruto just followed, thinking that - for once - he liked the feeling of being ordered around. Even if it was troublesome. However, it was still a step towards the right direction.

--


End file.
